Brrrrr: Cold Shooting Dooms Cajuns Against ULM, 57-55

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns suffered through their worst shooting night of the season Monday, as they fell to league leading UL Monroe 57-55 before 4213 fans at the CAJUNDOME.

Louisiana (10-8, 4-3 Sun Belt) suffered its third straight loss and this one might have been the most frustrating of the three.

The Cajuns shot a dismal 32.7% (18-55) for the game and connected on just 7-23 attempts (30.4%) in the second half.  Louisiana failed to record a field goal in the final 7:34.

ULM (12-6, 6-1) won its sixth straight game and did it despite shooting under 40% themselves as the Warhawks connected on 22-56 from the field (39.3%.)  ULM was just 9-28 after intermission.

Shawn Long led the way for the Cajuns with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Devonta Walker tallied 15 points and also chipped in nine rebounds.  The two were 12-22 from the field.  The rest of the team was just 6-33 (18.1%).  The Cajuns were just 2-18 from beyond the arc, many of those being wide open shots.

Only superb free throw shooting kept the Cajuns in the game as Louisiana hit 17-18 from the charity stripe.  ULM was just 8-17.

The game was tied midway through the first half when ULM went on a 9-0 run to grab a 23-14 lead with 7:39 remaining.  The Warhawks lead was eight points, 28-20 with 4:35 left, but the Cajuns went on an 8-0 run to tie the score with 2:22 remaining.  Majok Deng hit a layup and a jumper to put ULM up by four before Long's layup made it 32-30 ULM at the break.

Walker hit back to back baskets to open the second half to give the Cajuns the lead and after a Mack Foster basket tied the game, Brian Williams got a dunk on an alley oop pass from Jay Wright and Long got another dunk off a Wright pass to give the Cajuns their biggest lead of the night, 38-23 with 16:36 to play.  Jamaal Samuel cut the lead to one point with a triple and Long's free throw made it a two point game with 16:06 left.

Neither team scored over the next three and a half minutes, with Tylor Ongwae's inside shot tying the game with 12:40 to go.  Xavian Rimmer hit a three ball for the Cajuns a half minute later, but Nick Coppola hit a triple of his own to tie the game at 42 with 11:04 to go.  Coppola's layup midway through the second half gave ULM the lead they would not relinquish.  ULM got a pair of baskets by Marvin Williams to make it a 9-0 run and a 48-42 lead.  Long hit a layup and was fouled, but was called for a technical foul on the play and the Cajuns trailed after the free throws, 50-45.  Williams hit a layup to draw the Cajuns within three points, 50-47 but that would be the last field goal for the home team.

It was over three minutes before Justin Roberson hit a jumper to make the score 52-47 with 4:16 remaining.  Walker hit four straight free throws to get the Cajuns within one with 2:39 left, but Roberson hit another jumper fifteen seconds later to stretch the lead back to three.

Jay Wright hit a pair of free throws with 1:18 to go to draw the Cajuns within one point again, 54-53, but Roberson hit a pair with :50 to play.  Long was good on a pair of freebies with :38 left to make it a one point game.  The Cajuns elected to play defense and the move nearly paid off when Wright got his hands on a pass but couldn't control it with :05.2 left.  The Cajuns then had to foul and Roberson missed the front end of the one and one.  After a time out, the Cajuns threw a pass past halfcourt that was intercepted by Ongwae, who made 1-2 free throws for the final margin.

Ongwae was the only Warhawk in double figures with13 points.  Jamaal Samuel scored nine, while Deng and Roberson had eight apiece.  ULM turned the ball over just ten times, compared to 14 for the Cajuns.  UL outrebounded the Warhawks 43-34.

Louisiana will try to salvage the final game of the three game homestand when they play host to Arkansas State Thursday night at the CAJUNDOME.