LAFAYETTE, La. – Katlyn Manuel recorded her second double-double in as many games while Daisha Bradford led the way with a game-high 20 points as the ULM women’s basketball team (12-5, 4-2 Sun Belt Conference) edged the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-9, 2-4) 65-59 on Thursday (Jan. 18) night at the Cajundome in Lafayette, La.
The win marked the first time ULM defeated the Ragin’ Cajuns in 18 games dating back to 2015. The Warhawks won their third-straight conference game, doing so for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
“Anytime you can go on the road and get a win, we are going to be excited about that,” said ULM women’s basketball head coach Missy Bilderback. “The Ragin’ Cajuns do a great job defensively and challenged us offensively. We found a way to get the win tonight.”
Manuel, a junior forward from Lawtell, La., provided 14 points and 10 boards off the bench and shot 7-for-11 from the field. Bradford registered 20 points and sank nine free throws to go along with five rebounds and a trio of assists. Jakayla Johnson played all 40 minutes and was one board shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. Brianna Harris rounded out the double-digit scorers for ULM with 10 points and added seven rebounds. Lauren Gross converted a pair of 3-point buckets and scored eight points in the first half.
The Warhawks won the rebounding margin by five and outrebounded the Cajuns 38-33. ULM shot 41.5% from the field and limited the Ragin’ Cajuns to 38.9% shooting. ULM capitalized on 13 points off turnovers and poured in eight second-chance points to its final score.
Bradford scored the first points of the game after the Ragin’ Cajuns turned the ball over on their first possession. The Warhawks built a double-digit lead after completing a 13-0 scoring run to seize a 15-4 lead. Johnson buried a pair of triples in the run and Manuel concluded the scoring spree with a turnaround jumper. A layup from Manuel and a 3-pointer by Harris helped the Warhawks develop a 20-9 lead at the end of one quarter.
The Ragin’ Cajuns closed the gap to two points at the start of the second quarter. Gross ended a 9-0 scoring run for the Cajuns with a jumper to keep ULM in the lead by four. Gross again knocked down a shot from beyond the arc and the Warhawks held a seven-point edge midway through the second quarter. Gross’ second 3-pointer of the quarter pushed ULM’s lead to nine and a trio of free throws from Harris saw the Warhawk lead increase to 12. ULM led by 10 points at the end of the half.
Manuel and Harris connected on jump shots at the beginning of the third quarter and the Warhawks maintained a 12-point cushion. The Ragin’ Cajuns trimmed ULM’s lead to three points with under two minutes to play in the third. Harris sank a jump shot that made the score 45-40 in favor of the Warhawks with 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
The Ragin’ Cajuns pushed to cut ULM’s lead to one point within the first three minutes of the final quarter. A steal by Bradford led to a layup by Johnson at the other end to keep ULM ahead by a trio of points. After a Ragin’ Cajuns’ bucket, Bradford drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to keep ULM up by two possessions. The Ragin’ Cajuns kept within striking distance down the stretch and trailed by just one point twice in the final three minutes of the game. Bradford scored seven points in the final two minutes of the game to help the Warhawks secure its first win over the Ragin’ Cajuns since 2015.
The ULM women’s basketball team will finish its road trip on Saturday (Jan. 20) at Southern Miss. The Warhawks and Golden Eagles will battle at noon in Hattiesburg.
“It will be a dogfight down in the ‘Burg,” said Bilderback. “We are excited for the opportunity to compete.”
