Emma Merriweather records one of her four blocked shots against the Ragin' Cajuns on Feb. 2, 2023.
Ben Massey
58
ULM ULM 7-15,3-8 Sun Belt
66
Winner Louisiana LA 14-9,8-3 Sun Belt
ULM ULM
7-15,3-8 Sun Belt
58
Final
66
Louisiana LA
14-9,8-3 Sun Belt
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
ULM ULM 10 14 14 20 58
Louisiana LA 10 10 17 29 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

ULM Comes Up Short at Ragin’ Cajuns, 66-58

LAFAYETTE, La. – Alicia Blanton scored a season-high 15 points to lead Louisiana Lafayette to a 66-58 victory over ULM Thursday night in the Cajundome. It marked the Ragin' Cajuns' fifth-straight win in Sun Belt Conference play.
 
There were six lead changes and seven ties in a tightly contested game. ULM led by four at the halftime intermission and carried a one-point into the fourth quarter, but the Ragin' Cajuns hit 8-of-13 field-goal attempts (62 percent) over the final 10 minutes while outscoring the Warhawks, 29-20, to claim its 17th consecutive victory in the series.
 
"We battled and just about stole this one on the road," ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "Lafayette is a very physical team, and for most of the game, we matched their physicality."
 
Louisiana Lafayette (14-9, 8-3 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Katlyn Manuel's 12-foot jumper from the left side of the lane sparked an 8-0 run as the Warhawks grabbed an 8-6 advantage as Emma Merriweather connected on a hook shot from the right block with 5:16 on the clock. ULM's Diamond Brooks converted a layup, off an assist from Amani Brown, just before the buzzer to tie the score at 10-all after the first 10 minutes.
 
The second quarter started just like the opening period, with the Ragin' Cajuns scoring three-straight layups to take a 16-10 lead with 7:52 on the clock. Brown banked in a short jumper from inside the lane to fuel a 10-2 spurt as ULM regained the lead at 20-18 on Olivia Knight's pull-up jumper from the left elbow with 3:15 remaining in the first half. Knight scored twice in the final 32 seconds – first hitting 20-foot jumper from the top of the circle, followed by a runner from the right side of the lane to complete the fastbreak – to give the Warhawks a 24-20 advantage at the break.
 
Knight scored eight points in the second quarter, hitting all four of her field-goal attempts. As team, ULM made 7-of-8 shots from the floor (88 percent) in the period while Louisiana Lafayette went 5-of-16 (31 percent).
 
ULM (7-15, 3-8) matched its largest lead at 28-22 on Bre Sutton's off-balance layup with 7:55 to play in the third quarter. The Ragin' Cajuns put together a 6-0 run late in the period and reclaimed the lead at 37-36 on Destiny Rice's fast-break layup with 17 seconds on the clock. Manuel hit a pair of free throws with 5 seconds to play in the period to give the Warhawks a 38-37 advantage.
 
Rice's jumper from inside the paint gave Louisiana Lafayette the lead for good at 39-38 with 9:39 left in the game. The Cajuns scored eight consecutive points to open the final stanza and built a 45-38 advantage as Nubia Benedith banked in a 3-pointer from the left wing with 8:33 on the clock. ULM got a short jumper in the lane from Manuel and Aasia Sam followed with a 3 from the left corner to cut its deficit four at 47-43 with 6:31 to go in the game. Louisiana Lafayette responded with a 12-4 spurt to open up its largest lead at 59-47 on three-straight free throws from Benedith with 1:57 remaining. The Ragin' Cajuns converted 7-of-10 free-throw attempts in the final 53 seconds to ice it.
 
ULM committed 24 turnovers – its highest total in a Sun Belt game this season. Louisiana Lafayette held a decisive advantage in points off turnovers, 23-10; points in the paint, 34-33; and fast-break points, 24-8. The Warhawks outrebounded the Cajuns, 42-30.
 
Blanton, who made 5-of-7 shots from the field and all five of her free-throw attempts, led four players in double figures. The Ragin' Cajuns also got 13 points from Tamera Johnson, with nine of those coming the in the fourth period, 11 from Benedith and 10 from Rice.
 
Sutton, who was the only Warhawk to score in double figures, netted 12 points, including 10 in the second half.
 
Merriweather finished with seven points, 11 rebounds (four offensive boards) and four blocked shots.
 
ULM plays its second of three consecutive conference road games on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Texas State, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version