The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball team entered the Sun Belt tournament as the seven seed facing off against the 10-seed App State Mountaineers in Pensacola, Florida. It was a rough shooting night for both squads in the Pensacola Bay Center as the Cajuns’ season ends in a 51-38 loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
It started off really slow for both teams. Caira Wren made the first basket of the game a minute in a half in with a layup that was assisted by Destiny Rice. App State responded with a Faith Alston three-pointer. We wouldn’t see another shot being made for the next two minutes.
The Mountaineers would score the next six points including a Chae Harris three to put them up 9-2 midway through the first quarter. The only other basket the Cajuns made in the opening frame was a Mariah Stewart and App State was up 13-4 headed into the second.
Through the first six minutes of the following quarter, the Cajuns scored the first five points to cut their deficit to within four. App State however rattled off eight of the next 10 points as Harris knocked down two more from behind the arc to extend their lead to 10.
Rice banked in a half-court buzzer beater to make it a 21-14 game at halftime. Both teams were shooting under 28 percent to this point.
Emily Carver opened up the second half scoring the first five points with a couple of free throws and a three-pointer of her own. The Cajuns cut it to within six with a couple of Lanay Wheaton baskets and a couple of Nubia Benedith free throws after she got a steal and was fouled by Harris.
Wheaton had a big third quarter, putting up 10 points and four out of her five made shots were mid-range jumpers. Louisiana trailed up App State 36-28 as they headed to the final quarter.
In the fourth, it was back-and-forth and the Cajuns couldn’t get close enough to make a comeback and the final buzzer sounded with Louisiana falling to App State 51-38. Three players reached double-digit scoring for the Mountaineers while Wheaton was the only Cajun to reach that mark with 12 points.
BIG NUMBER: 32
In addition to the poor shooting night, both teams turned the ball over a combined 31 times, 18 by Louisiana and 14 by App State in the Cajuns’ 51-38 loss to the Mountaineers in the second round of the Sun Belt tournament.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chae Harris
Harris was lights out from three-point territory as she made all three of her attempts from deep en route to her scoring 11 points. She also grabbed a few rebounds, got a couple of steals, and blocked a shot in the Mountaineers’ win.
UP NEXT: We will await the start of the 2023-2024 season for the Cajuns women’s team to begin.