Lady Mustangs In Action Tonight
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:42 amThis is a printer friendly version of an article from theadvertiser.com
To print this article open the file menu and choose Print.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article published Nov 11, 2005
McDaniel, Cajuns head to SMU for NIT opener
Bruce Brown
[email protected]
Alicia McDaniel knows the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are in for a challenge tonight when they visit SMU in Dallas in the first round of the Preseason NIT.
"They have all their starters back and they won 19 games last year," said sophomore guard McDaniel. "We have a lot of new players. They know what they need to know.
"They're connected. We're trying to get connected."
Not that coach J. Kelley Hall's Cajuns are without credentials. They finished 22-9 last season and reached the finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
"I don't feel any pressure," McDaniel said. "I want to do better. I want to go deeper in the postseason, and we have the talent to do that. If we work hard, focus and push each other, we'll get there."
But the Cajuns are replacing three senior starters, trying to assimilate numerous new faces into the system and are adjusting after guards Jeanenne Colbert and Elaine McCants were injured in a preseason vehicle accident.
Freshman Whitney Dunlap is one of those new faces, a sharpshooter from St. Michael's (formerly Bishop Sullivan) in Baton Rouge whose role has changed since drills began.
"Coach told me I do need to be ready," said Dunlap, who may need to log some minutes at point guard until Colbert can return. "In scrimmages, I play point guard sometimes. I played the point in high school, so I just have to make the transition."
Senior starter Ashley Blanche is the established point guard and the team's leader, with freshman Blair Brodhead her backup on this trip. Dunlap and sophomore Onna Charles are the gunners on the wings, with senior Sherita Anderson, JC transfer Yolanda Jones and sophomore Sonora Edwards in the paint.
Hall is wary of the matchup with the Mustangs.
"They have five starters back and a good recruiting class," Hall said. "Four of their starters can shoot the 3. They run a lot of different offenses and they play hard.
"I think we can do some things to them offensively. I'd like to see this team come out of there with a win. It would be a huge victory."
SMU owns a 13-point win over Everyone's Internet, the same traveling squad that handed the Cajuns an 82-54 defeat. Juli Colli's 16 points (8-of-10 free throws) led SMU in that game, followed by Kendall Shead and Janielle Dodds with 12 apiece.
Tonight's winner will likely visit Oklahoma (which plays Wisconsin-Milwaukee) in Sunday's second round. But after 22 wins a year ago, the Cajuns are ready to follow up that success.
"That's definitely why I came here," Dunlap said of UL's improvement. "When I visited, we talked about the program going up, and I was also able to see that. That's definitely the reason I came to play at UL."
"Being in the NIT means we're getting things accomplished," McDaniel said. "We're getting better every year."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To print this article open the file menu and choose Print.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article published Nov 11, 2005
McDaniel, Cajuns head to SMU for NIT opener
Bruce Brown
[email protected]
Alicia McDaniel knows the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are in for a challenge tonight when they visit SMU in Dallas in the first round of the Preseason NIT.
"They have all their starters back and they won 19 games last year," said sophomore guard McDaniel. "We have a lot of new players. They know what they need to know.
"They're connected. We're trying to get connected."
Not that coach J. Kelley Hall's Cajuns are without credentials. They finished 22-9 last season and reached the finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
"I don't feel any pressure," McDaniel said. "I want to do better. I want to go deeper in the postseason, and we have the talent to do that. If we work hard, focus and push each other, we'll get there."
But the Cajuns are replacing three senior starters, trying to assimilate numerous new faces into the system and are adjusting after guards Jeanenne Colbert and Elaine McCants were injured in a preseason vehicle accident.
Freshman Whitney Dunlap is one of those new faces, a sharpshooter from St. Michael's (formerly Bishop Sullivan) in Baton Rouge whose role has changed since drills began.
"Coach told me I do need to be ready," said Dunlap, who may need to log some minutes at point guard until Colbert can return. "In scrimmages, I play point guard sometimes. I played the point in high school, so I just have to make the transition."
Senior starter Ashley Blanche is the established point guard and the team's leader, with freshman Blair Brodhead her backup on this trip. Dunlap and sophomore Onna Charles are the gunners on the wings, with senior Sherita Anderson, JC transfer Yolanda Jones and sophomore Sonora Edwards in the paint.
Hall is wary of the matchup with the Mustangs.
"They have five starters back and a good recruiting class," Hall said. "Four of their starters can shoot the 3. They run a lot of different offenses and they play hard.
"I think we can do some things to them offensively. I'd like to see this team come out of there with a win. It would be a huge victory."
SMU owns a 13-point win over Everyone's Internet, the same traveling squad that handed the Cajuns an 82-54 defeat. Juli Colli's 16 points (8-of-10 free throws) led SMU in that game, followed by Kendall Shead and Janielle Dodds with 12 apiece.
Tonight's winner will likely visit Oklahoma (which plays Wisconsin-Milwaukee) in Sunday's second round. But after 22 wins a year ago, the Cajuns are ready to follow up that success.
"That's definitely why I came here," Dunlap said of UL's improvement. "When I visited, we talked about the program going up, and I was also able to see that. That's definitely the reason I came to play at UL."
"Being in the NIT means we're getting things accomplished," McDaniel said. "We're getting better every year."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------