29 Jan 2013
Sports Editor
Will Darnell / Intern
The first time the Mean Green played the University of Louisiana-Lafayette this season on Dec.1 in the Super Pit, it had its finest shooting performance of the season, on the way to defeating the Ragin’ Cajuns by 12 points.
ULL (7-13, 1-10) has lost nine of its last 13 games, including a one-point, overtime loss to Florida International University last Wednesday. The Mean Green (7-13, 6-5) hopes to compound the misery and add an eighth straight loss to the record of the Ragin’ Cajuns on the road tonight.
The Mean Green shot nearly 55 percent from the field for the game and 62.5 percent in its second half surge to victory. However, after winning five straight games, the Mean Green has combined to shoot only 36 percent during its current three-game losing streak.
“Our pressure disrupted them,” head coach Mike Petersen said. “And we finished better, in that game, around the rim, so I think those two things [are important]. We need to get some transition baskets. We didn’t really get many against Little Rock.”
The team will be looking to bounce back after shooting the ball poorly against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Junior guard Laura McCoy emphasized the importance of outside shooting.
“I think it’s important so that we can draw the defense out and get it inside,” she said, “but I think UALR played great defense, and we just have to get in the gym and keep shooting.”
Freshman forward Alexis Hyder had a great game against ULL in December, scoring 16 points.
“I actually want to do better, just stay focused and go out with the mentality to kill and I think we’ll come out with a win,” Hyder said.
The Mean Green will be short-handed on its road trip, with only eight players making the trip.
“We are who we are, so we’re going to play with who we have,” Petersen said. “We need to be mentally tough enough to fight through it at the end of games.”
The Mean Green needs a victory to keep its second place spot in the Sun Belt West Division, while the Ragin’ Cajuns seeks to double its conference wins total.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. from the Earl K. Long Gym tonight.
