LAFAYETTE — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball team delivered a dominant second-half performance to defeat South Alabama, 55-48, fueled by a game-high 16 points from senior guard Nubia Benedith.
For Lafayette native Chrysta Narcisse, the game was a homecoming. The former state champion made an early impact, helping South Alabama jump out to a six-point lead in the first quarter.
Louisiana responded in the second quarter, with Benedith leading the charge. Despite their efforts, the Cajuns entered halftime trailing by five.
The second half saw a defensive transformation. Louisiana locked in, holding South Alabama to just 18 total points while forcing 12 turnovers. The Jaguars were limited to 29% shooting from the field, allowing the Cajuns to take control.
“If we're not playing defense, sometimes we can struggle on the offensive side,” Benedith said. “But when we find ourselves connected on the defensive side, a lot of good things happen for us.”
Senior forward Skylah Travis, who contributed a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, emphasized the team’s halftime adjustments.
“We came out kind of slow,” Travis said. “At halftime, we realized, like, hey, we have to pick this up. We’re either going to take this loss and cry about it, or we’re going to pick it up and win this game.”
The Cajuns’ will travel to play Southern Miss in the season finale on Friday, Feb. 28 at 5:00 p.m.
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