Game 9: Gophers play Louisiana in NOLA (11-30-24)

Ignatius L Hoops

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The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns with 9 seniors or graduates are one of the country’s oldest teams. Exhibit A is 6’0” graduate guard Erica Lafayette who spent four years at Rutgers before transferring home. Last season Lafayette scored 9 points in 24 minutes when the Scarlet Knights won the regular season game versus Minnesota. Later, she put up 16 points in 36 minutes in losing to the Gophers in the B1G tourney. In addition to experience, she brings three-point prowess to Louisiana (she was 7-13 from three versus Minnesota last season).

Lafayette represented the type of hybrid player that long time Louisiana head coach, Garry Brodhead, went after in the transfer portal. He sought players with size and athleticism (who doesn’t) capable of playing multiple positions and switching on defense. Brodhead intended to improve on last season’s tied for 5th place finish in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin’ Cajuns were voted 5th in this season’s poll behind JMU, Troy, ODU and ULM.

The season started slowly with a 55-57 loss at Northern Illinois. The Ragin’ Cajuns were scoreless for the last 8:30 while Northern got a winning put back with :30 seconds remaining.

Returning home, UL led start to finish in a 74-50 defeat of Loyola (La). Louisiana’s next outing was cancelled when Mobile encountered travel problems. After a two week break, which allowed some recovery time for some players with nagging injuries, UL defeated Nichols 60-55 and New Orleans 61-46. They enter the Big Easy Tournament 3-1 where they will face Cleveland State before playing Minnesota.

STARTERS

5’8” junior guard Jaylyn James averages 13 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20 minutes. James returned from injury to play the last two games. She scored 16 against Nichols.

5’9” graduate point guard Tamiah Robinson averages 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 33 minutes. Robinson posted 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers versus UNO. She began her career with Utah State.

6’1” graduate forward Kamryn Jones transferred from Houston and averages 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 19.3 minutes. On the season, she has 9 steals, 9 turnovers and 5 assists. Jones ramps up the excitement.

6’0” senior forward Ashlyn Jones has spent her career at Louisiana. This season she averages 4.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 24.8 minutes.

5’8” graduate guard Aasia Sam averages 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 19 minutes.

OTHERS

5’7” graduate guard Lanay Wheaton returned from last season’s nagging injury to average 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 24 minutes. The injury must’ve returned. She hasn’t played since the Nichols game.

5’8” graduate guard Nubia Benedith started her career at North Florida the Gophers next opponent. For the Ragin’ Cajuns she’s averaging 8.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 27.3 minutes as the backup point guard.

And the previously mentioned Erica Lafayette averages 10.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 19.5 minutes.

It should be noted that Louisiana was counting on some players who were injured. Among them were 6’2” post Charlotte Caravalho suffered a season ending knee injury and Missouri transfer 6’3” graduate forward Skylah Travis has not played
 



The Gophers looked a step slow by the end of the quarter allowed the Cougars back in it. Need to start hitting their shots
 

Just flipped over to the YouTube coverage after the football game. That's a funky camera angle. Most high schools in MN provide better video.
 


Good game for the Gophers. Can tell some are getting tired here in the 4th, hence missing more shots.. Trust coach P but could think she could use Czinano, Holloway and Johnson a little more to help this out. More experience they can get the deeper we will be for Big 10 season.
 

Defense keeps improving. Heyer missed a ton of easy open layups.
 

Yeah wish we had a couple tougher non conference matchups to see where we are at going into big 10 season.
 

WESTWEGO, La. – Hindered by a cold-shooting spell throughout the contest the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Basketball team fell 60-42 to Cleveland State on Friday, November 29 in its opening contest of the Big Easy Classic at the Alario Center.

Louisiana (3-2) shot a season-low 22 percent (14-of-63) which prevented the squad from capitalizing further on forcing Cleveland State (4-2) into 27 turnovers. It also kept the Ragin' Cajuns from keeping pace with a Vikings squad that shot 53 percent (20-of-38).
 



We are missing a lot of good looks
 



Looks like tired legs. Johnson must either really be in the doghouse or not providing enough on the defensive end. Someone who shoots the 3 ball well would think to see if she can provide some scoring. I’m glad they’re playing these back to back games. Go Gophs!
 



Looks like tired legs. Johnson must either really be in the doghouse or not providing enough on the defensive end. Someone who shoots the 3 ball well would think to see if she can provide some scoring. I’m glad they’re playing these back to back games. Go Gophs!
In her limited minutes she has gotten a few charges and good amount of rebounds. Last couple of games looked a little tentative, but I too a little surprised coach hasn't found a way to get her some more minutes.
 


During a stretch of about three minutes in the fourth quarter I counted seven missed jumpers and three turnovers. These types of droughts can cost you games against better opponents.
 
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The weaker non conference schedule starting to drive me crazy. @ Nebraska on 12/8 will be interesting to see where we are at. Stewart goes against her old team. Top 25 team on the road.
 

There were some really great stretches of defense this weekend - that was fun to see.

I was seeing what’s on after this game ended and found out Tuesday opponent, North Florida, on ESPN+ if folks are interested in seeing their second half.
 


Interesting to watch the telecast. One camera from midcourt. Really helped to have the play by play be their radio announcer. Helped to follow along much better.

They won. Nobody got hurt. Seems like folks are disappointed (I guess it was expected they would win by 40 or something).
 

Interesting to watch the telecast. One camera from midcourt. Really helped to have the play by play be their radio announcer. Helped to follow along much better.

They won. Nobody got hurt. Seems like folks are disappointed (I guess it was expected they would win by 40 or something).
I think most fans are just anxious to see how we are going to fair in the tough big 10 season where the competition is going to be at a next level.
 

Just flipped over to the YouTube coverage after the football game. That's a funky camera angle. Most high schools in MN provide better video.
I liked the camera angle for a change. I could see the speed of the game and the physical play better than the distant camera locations in some gyms.
 

Hello all - long time lurker, first time responder! I signed up for YouTube TV … I got in and you get a Whoopie Doopie two day free trial - well anyways they said the game wasn’t available …

So I’ll check after it starts, like Gophers Guys games on big18 +, so checking after it starts it’s still unavailable …. so how did y’all watch the game?

Thanks for reading. I’ll sit back and listen. When I was paying triple the dollars for cable and I knew the game was on a channel even if it was reported in the star tribune as being on that channel you turned it on and it was on now it seems like every time you wanna watch a game you got a dinger around with all this membership baloney …

Thanks for listening I’ll once again sit back and listen.
 

Hello all - long time lurker, first time responder! I signed up for YouTube TV … I got in and you get a Whoopie Doopie two day free trial - well anyways they said the game wasn’t available …

So I’ll check after it starts, like Gophers Guys games on big18 +, so checking after it starts it’s still unavailable …. so how did y’all watch the game?

Thanks for reading. I’ll sit back and listen. When I was paying triple the dollars for cable and I knew the game was on a channel even if it was reported in the star tribune as being on that channel you turned it on and it was on now it seems like every time you wanna watch a game you got a dinger around with all this membership baloney …

Thanks for listening I’ll once again sit back and listen.
It was on you tube not you tube tv. Just clicked on “watch” icon from link on their schedule for game on gopher sports.
 

Hello all - long time lurker, first time responder! I signed up for YouTube TV … I got in and you get a Whoopie Doopie two day free trial - well anyways they said the game wasn’t available …

So I’ll check after it starts, like Gophers Guys games on big18 +, so checking after it starts it’s still unavailable …. so how did y’all watch the game?

Thanks for reading. I’ll sit back and listen. When I was paying triple the dollars for cable and I knew the game was on a channel even if it was reported in the star tribune as being on that channel you turned it on and it was on now it seems like every time you wanna watch a game you got a dinger around with all this membership baloney …

Thanks for listening I’ll once again sit back and listen.
I am going to give it a like just on the basis of a Whoopie Doopie, I got a kick out of that.
 

During a stretch of about three minutes in the fourth quarter I counted seven missed jumpers and three turnovers. These types of droughts can cost you games against better opponents.
I noticed a significant drop in intensity after they went on the big run and stretched the lead to 20 points in the second half.

As for scoring droughts, every team in America goes through those 2-4 minute where they go ice cold and commit a couple of turnovers. Sometimes it's because you're taking bad shots, but sometimes even your good, open shots aren't dropping. Pretty much all teams have at least one stretch in a game where 9 out of 12 trips down the floor are empty. Sucks when it's your team doing it, but great when it's your team is taking advantage of the other teams slump.

That's why coaches stress defense so much. The idea being that shooting (offense) comes and goes, but if you play great defense, you can get through those droughts with-out it costing you very much.
 

Thanks for the info. So in looking at the box score from ESPN I saw attendance was listed at 132!!! … talk about a big tournament!

Needless to say, I canceled quickly YouTube TV ….(although YouTube is my all-time favorite app.!!!!)

I sure hope the team had fun in their trip to New Orleans!
 




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