LAFAYETTE, La. - Louisiana-Lafayette guard Jasmine Barnes made a jumper
with 22.5 seconds remaining to break the gridlock in a 47-44 win over
the University of New Orleans on Wednesday night at Earl K. Long Gym.
With time running out on the shot clock and the game knotted at 44,
Barnes nailed a jumper to lift ULL (7-12, 2-5 Sun Belt) to victory. UNO
(7-12, 1-7 SBC) guard
Brittany Helm would have a chance to tie the
score, but her shot attempt with seven seconds left in the contest was
off the mark, allowing the Ragin' Cajuns to escape with the victory.
Barnes was one of three players in double-figures for ULL, scoring 14
points on the night. Alexis Green and Mercedes Johnson added 12 and 11
points, respectively for the Ragin' Cajuns, who broke a two-game losing
streak.
Helm scored 16 points to pace UNO and lead all scorers on the night.
Freshman post
Juanita Cochran topped double-figures for the fourth
straight game, scoring 10 points in the first half on way to 14 points
for the game. Cochran added nine rebounds.
ULL got off to a hot start, connecting on eight consecutive shots from
the field to open the game and a nine-point lead at 18-9 over UNO. It
would be just over seven minutes before the Ragin' Cajuns missed,
something they would do on their next seven attempts, allowing the Lady
Privateers to trim the deficit to five at 20-15.
The UNO run continued as a Cochran basket in the paint put the visitors
on top 26-25 with 2:07 remaining in the first half. The score would
hold until the halftime break as ULL did not make a single field goal
over the last 7:49 of the first half, making just 2 of 14 after their
sparkling performance to start the game.
As the second half got underway, the Ragin' Cajuns continued to
struggle from the field missing their first six shots after the half. A
Johnson three-point play ignited a run for ULL, who would score five in
a row once they made a basket, on way to regaining the lead 30-28.
UNO scored 6 of 7 to move ahead 34-31 before a Green three-pointer
flipped the lead back to the Ragin' Cajuns by a 36-34 score. The lead
would remain in ULL's favor before Helm knotted the score at 44 on a
lay-up with 1:47 remaining.
Neither team would capitalize on opportunities to go ahead until Barnes
hit the game-winning basket. Amy Richard would add a free throw in the
final second of play as the Lady Privateers never had a legitimate
chance at a game-tying shot.
UNO will return home on Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. contest against ULM.
The game will be streamed on UNOPrivateers.com, in addition to live
radio coverage on WGSO 990 AM and WGSO.com.
