UALR Cannot Complete Comeback in 56-54, 2 OT Loss at Louisiana-Lafayette

Courtesy UALR Athletics Department

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Trojans stormed back after trailing by 13 in the second half, but a three-pointer by the Ragin’ Cajuns with 27 seconds left in double overtime lifted Louisiana-Lafayette (7-6, 1-3 Sun Belt) past UALR (10-2, 3-1 SBC) 56-54 Saturday night (Dec. 29) in the Cajundome.

Both teams grabbed 49 rebounds for the game. UALR shot 56.5 percent (13-23) from the field in the first half, but the ULL defense held the Trojans to a season-half low 13.8 percent (4-29) from the field in the second half. Louisiana-Lafayette scored the first 17 points of the second half before UALR rallied to send the game into extra basketball.

ULL shot 32.3 percent (21-65) for the game while UALR was held to 31.7 percent (20-63).

Sophomore Taylor Gault led all scorers with 15 points while classmate Kiera Clark grabbed nine rebounds and added eight points. Junior Hannah Fohne led the Trojans with three of the team’s six rejections.

For the Ragin’ Cajuns, Ashley Benjamin scored 12 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Brandi Schambough and Robbie Brown both contributed 10 points.

Both teams played back and forth early before a 10-1 run opened up a UALR seven-point lead, its largest of the game. Louisiana-Lafayette led 11-9 with 9:12 remaining in the first half before a drive by freshman Morgan Bolton knotted the game at 11. Following a defensive stand, Gault drove from the left wing and senior Janette Merriex added a jumper from the right elbow to push the UALR advantage to four. After ULL split from the line, Gault drove and found freshman Shanity James down low on consecutive possessions for the 19-12 Trojans lead.

ULL cut the deficit to two on a Schambough triple with a minute left in the first half, but Bolton drove the length of the court with five seconds remaining and swished a floater to give UALR the 27-23 intermission edge.

The Trojans were held scoreless for the first 13 minutes of the second half while Louisiana-Lafayette took a 40-27 lead, the largest deficit UALR has faced on the road this season. Both teams could not find the bottom of the net in the stanza’s first 3:18 before a jumper by ULL’s Kia Wilridge cut the lead in half. However, Gault was called for a rebounding foul and Louisiana-Lafayette tied the game with a pair from the charity stripe. In the run, ULL made 5-of-6 from the line, including a pair of old-fashioned three-pointers.

With UALR facing a 40-27 deficit with 6:54 left in regulation, Bolton split from the line and Clark added an elbow jumper and offensive put back to bring the deficit back to single digits. UALR hit seven of its next eight free throws to climb back within 40-39 with 1:53 left. ULL split from the line and Gault tied the game at 41 with a jumper in the lane with 1:20 left. A lay-up by Keke Veal ended a nearly seven-minute Louisiana-Lafayette field goal drought to put the home team up two. Gault responded when she tied the game at 43 with a drive and a mid-range jumper from the left side with 47 seconds left in regulation.

Louisiana-Lafayette missed a jumper and grabbed the offensive board for a chance to win the game, but a turnover by the Ragin’ Cajuns under a second left sent the game into overtime.

Both defenses again dug in for the overtime when junior Taylor Ford gave UALR the 46-44 edge with a jumper with 1:38 left. ULL answered when Brown split from the line and Veal added another layup to put the home team back in front, 47-46. Fohne split from the line with 27 seconds left and the UALR defense held to go to a second overtime after both teams managed only four points in the first period of bonus play.

UALR took its largest lead since the first half, 52-49, with two minutes remaining in the game on a Gault jumper. Benjamin and Ashley Mills both added second-chance buckets to put ULL back on top, but freshman Jakeisha Wells hit a bank shot with 44 seconds left to put the visitors up one. Schambough hit a triple with 27 seconds left, the only by either team since the first half. ULL hung on when Gault’s jumper missed in the final seconds and the Ragin’ Cajuns knocked the ball down towards their basket.

UALR returns to action Thursday (Jan. 3, 2013) when it hosts SBC East-leading Western Kentucky. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.