Veal Scores Season High In Cajuns Loss To Troy

Keke Veal lit Troy up for a season-high 34 points, but Troy repaid the favor by scoring a season high against the Ragin' Cajuns' defense.

The scoreline, and result, are deceiving for Garry Brodhead's team. If you told him before the game that his team was going to score 83 points on the road, he would ask you where they were going for the victory celebration. Unfortunately, Troy's offense heated up their home rim for a 90-83 win in conference play.

Brodhead's Cajuns erased a 16 point deficit in the second half, claiming the lead with a little over three minutes to play. After Simone Fields (10 pts, 5 reb) fouled out with 90 seconds remaining on the clock, Troy pulled away.

"The got kind of frustrated in the first half, but they calmed down," Brodhead said after the game. "A couple buckets we missed, a couple missed rebounds hurt us in the end."

Even in the loss, Brodhead's optimism came through. He said he was happy with his team's effort and encouraged by their performance, but clearly they would have liked to get the win. You can't blame coach for getting a little excited about what his guards did though.

Keke Veal's 34 points (10-21 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 10-12 FT) stole the show from Kia Wilridge, who almost had a triple-double (11 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast). Taylor Washington added in 14 points and four shots from deep, but nobody expected Troy to score 90 points on Thursday.

Troy did it with an all around attempt. They had four players score in double-figures, and they picked up 33 points off the bench. They found a way to push the tempo and force Brodhead's team to play opposite of their defensive-minded game style. It's easier said than done against a group of blue collar workers.

The Cajuns head to South Alabama on Saturday before finishing out their final two games of the season at the Cajundome. There's still enough time left to get cooking, Cajun style, for the Sun Belt Tournament,