UL Women Host Oral Roberts In WBI Semifinals

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun women’s basketball team is back in action on Thursday evening, when coach Garry Brodhead’s plays host to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in the semifinal round of the 2015 Women’s Basketball Invitational.

Tip-off time at Earl K. Long is scheduled for 6 o’clock, and you can hear all the play-by-play action on ESPN 1420 & espn1420.com, beginning with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.

Louisiana, the second-seed in the WBI’s West Region, has won 13 of their last 21, after defeating Texas-Pan American, 78-56, in an opening round match-up on last Thursday, and McNeese St., 63-58, in a second round contest last Saturday, improving their record to 21-12.

The wins by the Cajuns were their first postseason victories in program history, gave them 20 or more wins for only the fourth time in program history, and notched Brodhead his 45th career win, the most by a UL coach over a three-year period.

Oral Roberts., the seven-seed in the West Region, opened play in the WBI with a 57-54 victory over fifth-seeded Texas St. last Wednesday, before eliminating top-seeded New Mexico, 63-61, on Monday night, improve to 18-15 on the season.

The winner moves on to the finals of the WBI, to face Sienna on Sunday at 4 pm.

The Cajuns are out-scoring the opposition, 62.6/59.0, while being out-shot by foes from the floor, 42.2%/37.6%, and out-rebounded, 37.3/36.0.

Louisiana is paced by junior guard Keke Veal, who leads the team in scoring, at 14.5 points-per-game, and assists, at 3.4, along with sophomore Jaylin Gordon, who is second on the team in scoring, at 13.5 points a contest.

The Golden Eagles are being out-scored by the opposition, 63.9/63.4, while out-shooting foes from the floor, 40.9%/37.0%, and holding down a 42.7/36.7 rebound advantage.

Oral Roberts is paced by 6-foot-7 senior center Vicky McIntyre, who is averaging 15.6 points and 15.8 rebounds-per-game, which leads the nation, and senior guard Atoe' Jackson, who is averaging 9.4 points and 3.8 rebounds a contest.

This will be the first meeting, all-time, between the two schools.