Game 15 - Louisiana-Lafayette Game Notes (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team will return home this week for a pair of Sun Belt games beginning with Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday night. Tip-off versus the Ragin' Cajuns is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.
"(Louisiana-Lafayette) has some great guard play," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said. "They are very athletic and play multiple defenses, which seems to be a theme with our league opponents. They are really athletic and quick and have an outstanding shooter (Sylvana Okde) who is shooting at a high rate right now. We're going to have to limit her three-point opportunities against us."
Live stats and video for the contest versus Louisiana-Lafayette will be available at www.USAJaguars.com.
South Alabama (4-10, 2-2 SBC) returns home Wednesday night looking to bounce back after suffering a pair of losses on the road last week - at Arkansas-Little Rock (42-61) and at Arkansas State (60-73).
In the two losses, USA shot a combined .372 percent and was just 8-of-28 from the outside for 28.6 percent. Despite the slump from the arc, the Jaguars still lead the Sun Belt in both three-point shooting (.370) and threes per game (6.7).
The Jags top long-range shooter - Rachel Cumbo - was held to just 4.0 ppg in the two outings and just two made treys. Cumbo leads the league from the outside as she has knocked down 53.5 percent of her attempts. She has 23 three-pointers this season and is 10-of-16 from beyond the three-point line in her four conference games. She is second on the club with 8.8 points per game.
Senior guard Meghan Dunn - who is coming off an 18-point outing versus the Red Wolves. - is 12th in the SBC in scoring with 12.3 ppg. She also ranks fifth in the conference with a 41.8 three-point percentage and treys per game with 2.0. She has scored double-figures a team-best nine times this season.
True freshman Colby Davis is also coming off a strong performance versus ASU as she had 15 points in the loss. She has scored double figures in five or her last seven outings and is averaging 8.6 ppg. In conference play, she is averaging 10.3 ppg and has gotten to the foul line 29 times in four games. She has knocked down 75.9 percent of those attempts and was 8-of-10 at the charity stripe versus Arkansas State.
On the glass, senior forward Ronneka Robertson continues to pace the club. Despite being limited to 16 minutes due to foul trouble and not recording a rebound in her last game, the Kentwood, La., native still ranks second in the Sun Belt on the boards with 8.4 per game. She has led USA in that category 10 times this season and recorded seven double-figure rebounding games.
Fellow senior post player Jennifer Johnson ranks second in the Sun Belt in block coming into play this week. She has 16 rejections this season and is averaging 1.2 per game. Over the last nine games, she has recorded 14 of her 16 blocks, including two versus Arkansas State on Saturday.
After struggling to defend the arc early on this season, South Alabama has developed into one of the top three-point defensive clubs in the conference as they are currently tied with Louisiana-Lafayette in that department, holding the opposition to 29.5 percent shooting.
Over the past eight games, the Jaguars have done a much better job defending the three-point line as opponents have shot a combined (27-for-125) for 21.6 percent. South Alabama has held its four Sun Belt opponents to 17-of-70 shooting the Jaguars' two conference games.
Louisiana-Lafayette (9-5, 2-1 SBC) enters the midweek match up versus the Jaguars after holding on for a 66-64 win at home over Texas-Arlington over the weekend. Kia Wilridge and Sylvana Okde sealed the win for the Ragin' Cajuns with a bucket and a pair of free throws in the final 32 seconds.
Wilridge finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in her first start of the season. In her six games this season, Wilridge is averaging 7.2 ppg and has 10 steals.
Okde is coming off a 20-point outing versus UTA where she knocked down six three-pointers. Okde (11.6 ppg) is the top outside shooter for ULL as she has connected on 37 of her 107 attempts for 34.6 percent. She also leads the league in treys per game with 2.6. The sophomore guard has been even better in conference action. In three games, Okde is averaging 19.3 points per game and is 15-of-27 from long range for 55.6 percent. She has recorded double figures in five our last six outings, including a pair of 20-point games in SBC action.
One strength for Louisiana-Lafayette this season has been the club's defensive pressure. ULL not only leads the conference in turnover margin (+5.43), but its 10.6 steals per game are tops in the Sun Belt.
"(ULL) picks you up full court since they are super athletic," Fowler said. "We're going to have to take care of the basketball. I think when you have some teams that are as aggressive as they are, you try to use that aggressiveness against them. Hopefully we can take care of the ball and do that."
Defensively, the Ragin' Cajuns are holding their opponents to 60.8 ppg - second-lowest in the Sun Belt.
ULL may be without one of its top offensive and defensive weapons on Wednesday as sophomore guard Keke Veal's status is unknown. Veal - who leads the club with 11.9 ppg and 40 steals - missed the UTA game with a foot injury. Veal currently leads the SBC in steals with 3.1 per game.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
NOTES: The meeting between South Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette will be the 45th in the all-time series. South Alabama holds a huge advantage in the all-time series, leading the Ragin' Cajuns 34-10 and has won nine-straight in the series. The Jags are 17-4 in the series in games played in Mobile. USA took both meetings last season, defeating ULL 53-43 in Lafayette, La., and 53-39 in Mobile.
—USA—
