Tamera Johnson turns the tide as Cajuns best Houston in season hoops opener

Scored all of the Ragin’ Cajuns 11 points following the game’s only tie to capture lead for good

LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team used consistent point production each quarter and Tamera Johnson single-handedly provided separation from Houston in a season-opening 55-48 win on Monday at the Cajundome.

Louisiana (1-0) reached double digits in all four quarters, scoring at least 12 points each stanza, to stay ahead of the visiting Cougars (0-1) the entire contest.

The Ragin’ Cajuns scored the game’s first eight points and held Houston without a field goal make for the first seven minutes. When the Cougars managed to draw a 10-all tie near the 2:00-mark of the first quarter, it was Johnson who put the team on her back in the game-changing momentum shift.

A putback chance from Johnson at 1:20 broke the tie, then after an offensive rebound of a missed free throw she converted two makes and immediately collected a steal which led to her making two more freebies to extend the lead to 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Johnson completed her personal 11-point run when her three-point make at 8:33 of the second quarter moved Louisiana’s lead into double figures at 21-10. The Ragin’ Cajuns defense held the Cougars in check including a pair of shot clock violations as the lead grew to 27-12 with 3:08 left before the break.

Louisiana kept the pressure on early in the second half when Destiny Rice, Johnson and Sherry Porter all converted baskets on three consecutive possessions, expanding the lead to its largest point at 36-17 with 7:11 remaining in the third quarter.

UH managed to shrink the 17-point lead the Ragin’ Cajuns took into the fourth quarter with an 11-2 that made it 43-35, however Porter buried a triple out of a timeout to return the margin to double digits with 5:08 left to play.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, who finished 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final 1:26, received two clutch makes from Porter with 40 seconds remaining after the Cougars closed the gap to 53-47.

Defensively, Louisiana was able to hold Houston below 30 percent shooting each half and to a final showing of 23 percent (14-of-60). A turnaround at the free throw line in the second half, shooting 10-of-12 (83 percent), helped the Ragin’ Cajuns solidify the triumph.

LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
Johnson produced a double-double, netting a game-high 15 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. She added four steals to her final stat line.

Porter generated all 11 of her points in the second half, finishing 4-for-4 at the charity stripe after the break.

Rice was the third Ragin’ Cajun to score double figures with 10 points and had a team-best three assists. Caira Wren was the team’s second-leading rebounder with six boards (4 off, 2 def) while adding in six points.

Six different Ragin’ Cajuns had multiple makes from the free throw line, led by Johnson and Porter with four apiece, as the hosts outscored UH 18-16 from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana continues its rigorous early season stretch of games against teams coming off postseason berths on Friday, November 11 facing No. 3-ranked Texas in a 7:30 p.m. (CST) contest at the newly opened Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

The matchup with the Longhorns is the first of three straight games for the Ragin’ Cajuns against NCAA Tournament teams on the road which continues the following week against Colorado (Nov. 15) and Jackson State (Nov. 16) in the Preseason WNIT in Lubbock, Texas.