Cajuns Celebrate Return to Dome, Crush Arkansas State, 83-43
After playing five of their first six conference games away from the Cajundome, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun Women's basketball team was happy to play a home game.
And, they celebrated.
Playing what coach Garry Brodhead called their "most complete game of the season," the Cajuns jumped out to a 19 point halftime lead and stretched it in the final two quarters en route to an 83-43 spanking of Arkansas State Thursday night.
So dominant were the Cajuns that all twelve players who got into the game played double digit minutes and no player was on the court for more than 22 minutes.
Makayla Hallmon wound up being the Cajuns' leading scorer with twelve points while Diamond Morrison added eleven. Brandi Williams was the only starter in double figures, scoring eleven points.
The Cajuns (12-6, 5-2 Sun Belt) shot 50.9% (29-57) from the field and drained eleven triples in 25 attempts. The Cajuns also hit 14-15 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, the Cajuns' defense held Arkansas State to just 37.5% shooting (15-40) and just 2-14 from beyond the arc.
"Our goal before the game was to hold them to 48 points and we did a great job there," Brodhead said of his team that outrebounded the visitors 33-23 and did not allow the Red Wolves (7-11, 4-3) any second chance points. Kristin Daniels came off the bench to lead the Cajuns with six rebounds, while Ty Doucet added five.
Louisiana had 20 assists in the game led by sophomore Andrea Cournoyer with six and tuned the ball over just 12 times, while forcing Arkansas State into 20 turnovers in the contest.
Jireh Washington and Morgan Wallace led Arkansas State with nine points each.
The win started a stretch of eight home games in the last twelve contests and continues Saturday when the Cajuns host ULM in a 2:00 pm contest.