Ragin’ Cajuns follows Wheaton’s lead to win in holiday homestand opener

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Ragin’ Cajuns score season-high points total in closing the book on non-conference play

LAFAYETTE – With a season-high 25 points Lanay Wheaton steered the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team to an 81-50 win over LSU-Alexandria at the Caundome on Monday, December 19 in the final non-conference game of the season and the last outing before the Christmas break.

Wheaton’s production came on 10-of-14 shooting (3-of-4 beyond the arc) as she paced the team’s 49 percent effort from the floor (28-of-57) in dispatching the Generals.

In collecting the win, which evened their record heading into Sun Belt Conference play next weekend and snapped a two-game losing streak, the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-6) closed the night with three consecutive 20-plus point quarters to break free from a one-point lead after 10 minutes of play.

It was Wheaton leading the charge as Louisiana overcame a slow start in the first quarter that was plagued by uncharacteristic turnovers. She contributed eight points in the final two minutes during a 10-3 run, capped off by a buzzer-beating triple that pulled the Ragin’ Cajuns ahead 14-13.

Jaylyn James, who scored nine points in the second quarter, and Wheaton kept the scoring surge going following the quarter break with layups that stretched the lead to 18-13 by the 8:24 mark. The Generals, though, continued to hang around and reclaimed the lead at 26-25 by the 3:14 mark following a five-point surge out of the media timeout.

James had the quick answer as her driving layup at 3:01 returned the lead to Louisiana at 27-26. Then a dose of Alicia Blanton, who grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback basket and a defensive board that led to her making two free throws, upped the advantage to 31-26 just over a minute later.

The Ragin’ Cajuns fully seized control right before intermission when James knocked down a left-wing trey at 1:26 and Imani Rothschild stepped in front of the ensuing inbounds pass for a steal and a layup at 1:16 to increase the lead to 36-26.

Louisiana assured itself of a double-digit lead the rest of the way by starting out the second half with an 8-0 run that grew the lead to 46-28 with 6:18 to play in the third quarter. Five points from Wheaton in the final minute – which locked up her second consecutive 20-poing outing – was the final dagger as it extended the lead to 59-40, the largest lead of the night at that point in the contest.

The pull away continued early in the fourth quarter as the Ragin’ Cajuns defense, which forced LSUA into 37 turnovers in the game, turned the Generals over four times and received five points alone from Tamera Johnson during the eight-minute mark as part of a nine-point spurt to start the frame that increased the lead to 68-40.

The margin reached 30-point territory as Louisiana’s defense held the Generals without a field goal make through the 4:29 mark. It was an Imani Ivery three-pointer at 5:24 that brought the lead to 30 points, at 73-43, and landed the Ragin’ Cajuns’ season-high points total.

Monday’s game marked the first time a matchup with LSUA counted as a regular season game for Louisiana since December 1978. The previous four meetings, from the 2014-15 through 2017-18 seasons, were an exhibition setting for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Wheaton’s big night came two short days after leading Louisiana with 20 points at Lamar. Her 10 field goal makes is her new career-high total, and followed up the nine conversions on Saturday in Beaumont.

For the second straight game, James netted her season-high points total and also led the Ragin’ Cajuns in rebounding. She scored 15 points, hauled in seven rebounds and paced the team’s efforts at the free throw line with a 6-for-6 performance.

Blanton was the third player to score double figures as she contributed 11 points and like James worked her way to the free throw line (5-of-8). With four steals, she was a key defensive catalyst along with Rothschild who had a game-leading five steals and Wheaton who tacked on four steals to her season-leading total.

The seven points scored by Ivery and Rothschild marked their season-high total. Ivery and Johnson were the team’s second-leading rebounders with five apiece, boosting the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 38-20 edge over the Generals.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin’ Cajuns have a nine-day break from action for the Christmas holiday, then after the pause begin Sun Belt Conference play with Georgia State and Coastal Carolina visiting the Cajundome New Year’s Eve weekend from Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 29-31.

The Sun Belt opener with GSU on Thursday (Dec. 29) is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., while the New Year’s Eve contest with CCU tips at 1:00 p.m.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are opening conference play at home for the second straight season after beginning on the road for eight straight seasons prior to the 2021-22 campaign.

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