LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team takes the court at the Cajundome for one last time in the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, February 26 at 5:00 p.m. in a contest with South Alabama. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (12-14, 8-8 SBC) are beginning the season’s final stretch run, as only two games remain before the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Pensacola’s Bay Center.
Louisiana seeks to break a two-game losing streak incurred on last week’s Texas State-ULM road trip and reposition the squad for a chance to maximize its number of byes in the SBC Tournament.
UL goes for the season sweep of South Alabama (6-21, 2-14 SBC), previously winning 76-50 on January 9 in Mobile. The Ragin’ Cajuns also seek to add to their first double-digit home win total since the 2021-22 season.
Erica Lafayette (17.4) and USA’s Rachel Leggett (15.3) are two of the Top 5 scorers in SBC play. Lafayette remains in the running for the scoring crown, less than a point off Marshall’s Aislynn Hayes’ lead (18.2).
GAME INFORMATION
LOUISIANA (12-14, 8-8 SBC) vs. SOUTH ALABAMA (6-21, 2-14 SBC)
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 / 5:00 p.m.
Site: Lafayette, La.
Arena: Cajundome (12,362)
Radio: The GOAT 103.3 FM/1420 AM [thevarsitynetwork.com]
Talent: Dawson Eiserloh
TV: ESPN+ [espn.com]
Talent: Dan McDonald (pxp), Eric Mouton (analyst)
Live Stats: CajunStats.com [stats.statbroadcast.com]
Social Updates: @RaginCajunsWBB [x.com] | #GeauxCajuns
Series Record: South Alabama leads, 41-23
In Lafayette: South Alabama leads, 15-13
Streak: UL +1
BOUNCE PASSES
- Louisiana is back at the Cajundome – where the squad is 10-4 – for the final time in the 2024-25 season.
- UL has won all three SBC games at home in February, averaging 81 points and shooting 54 percent.
- The Cajuns go for the season sweep of South Alabama and look to snap a two-game losing streak after dropping rematches to Texas State and ULM on the road last week.
- Louisiana defeated South Alabama 76-50 in Mobile back on January 9 in the first matchup of the season. It was the Cajuns' fourth double-figure margin of victory over the Jaguars in the past five meetings.
- UL, which has won six of the last seven over USA, seeks to avenge last February's 46-43 loss at the Cajundome.
- Entering the week, UL is tied with Old Dominion in sixth place, with the Monarchs holding the tiebreaker, for a spot in the Nos. 5-6 range in SBC Tournament seeding which provides three byes to start the event.
- Louisiana's 10 wins at the Cajundome mark the first double-figure count and most recorded since the 2021-22 squad posted an 11-3 mark.
- Louisiana has lost only four times when scoring 60-plus, sporting a 12-4 record when hitting the mark.
- UL shot 57.9% the last time at home (vs. ULM), capping a 54% (95-of-175) three-game stretch in SBC play.
- Skylah Travis has led UL in rebounding in four of the last six games and is averaging 8.0 boards in February.
- The 19 offensive rebounds at ULM tied a season-high and marked the 13th double-digit effort in SBC play.
- Boosted by career-bests of 24 pts at Coastal and 26 pts vs. Marshall, Erica Lafayette is averaging 18.3 ppg in SBC play in February. It's kept her competing for the scoring crown in league play, currently third at 17.4 ppg.
- Erica Lafayette scored at least 17 points each of the first five SBC games, and has reached double digits in 14 of 16 league games, pacing her 17.4 ppg in conference play – highest by a Cajun since Jaylyn Gordon (17.5) in 2016-17.
- Skylah Travis emerged as a presence in the front court earlier this month, posting a double-double each of the first two weeks (Marshall, ULM). She averaged 8.6 points and 8.6 rebounds during the stretch.
- Nubia Benedith is shooting her best as a Cajun (40.6%) and generating her highest points average (9.0). On February 12, she eclipsed 500 points at Louisiana and clinched her second 200-point season with the program.
- Led by six players scoring 6.0-plus ppg, UL's 68.0 average in SBC play is the highest of Garry Brodhead's tenure.
- The majority of UL's SBC losses are to teams with a combined 61-19 league mark (JMU, ASU, Troy, APP, CCU).
- Cajuns rank Top 30 nationally in turnovers forced (20.3), turning foes over 20-plus times in 16 of 26 games.
- UL held its first five foes to 60 or below and has yielded 70-plus only four times (#4 LSU, Troy, Coastal, Marshall).
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana concludes regular season action in the 2024-25 season on Friday, February 28 on the road in Hattiesburg, Mississippi taking on Southern Miss at 5:00 p.m. inside Reed Green Coliseum.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will attempt to capture the season sweep for the first time since the Golden Eagles joined the SBC in the 2022-23 season. UL built a 20-point halftime edge and topped USM 77-68 in the season’s first matchup back on January 11 at the Cajundome.
Live coverage is available on ESPN+, the Varsity Network (stream only through the app) and CajunStats.com.
Following the trip to Hattiesburg is the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Tournament, being held at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida from March 4-10. Louisiana will receive its official assignment and path for the event following the conclusion of the last regular season game on Friday, February 28.
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