The record for Georgia State women’s basketball in Sun Belt play this season fell to 2-2 as the Panthers lost to the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns by a final of 68-52. Their overall record now stands at 7-6.
Instrumental in the defeat was that Georgia State could not take care of the basketball. They committed 24 turnovers and UL-Lafayette scored nearly half of their points for the game off Panthers miscues.
First Half
The Panthers began the game with a 5-0 as Kayla Nolan drained a three-pointer and Kennesha Nichols made a pair of free throws. The Cajuns got on the board with a three-pointer by Louisiana-Lafayette sophomore point guard Jaylyn Gordon, but layups by Nolan and Nichols extended the early Georgia State lead to 9-3.
After one made free throw by freshman forward Simone Fields, Nichols increased her point total to six as the Panthers’ lead became 11-4.
The Cajuns responded with an 8-0 run. Four straight points by junior point guard Kia Wilridge, and layups each from senior guard Robbie Brown and sophomore guard Gabby Alexander allowed Louisiana-Lafayette to take a 12-11 advantage midway through the first half.
Makeba Ponder and Ashley Watson each placed layups for Georgia State as the Panthers moved back ahead by three at 15-12.
Louisiana-Lafayette would proceed to go on another long run. A two-point jumpshot from junior guard Keke Veal was followed by two more points from Wilridge. A three-pointer from Gordon, plus a layup from Brown extended the Cajuns’ lead to 21-15. Gordon then made another three placing Louisiana-Lafayette ahead by nine at 24-15. Successful free throws from Veal as well as freshman forward Simone Fields equaled a 14-0 Cajuns run and a 26-15 lead.
Georgia State answered by scoring six straight points with layups from Nichols, Watson, and Alisha Andrews trimming their deficit to 26-21. Louisiana-Lafayette freshman guard Jodi Quinn then fouled Watson placing her at the line making one of two free throws, bringing the score 26-22.
A Veal layup was followed by Nichols making one of two from the line which placed the game at 28-23 in favor of the Cajuns.
Three consecutive points by junior forward Adrienne Prejan followed by four from Wilridge allowed Louisiana-Lafayette to extend their lead to 35-23. Watson then placed in a layup and a made a foul shot, but a three from Gordon made the gap 12 again at 38-26 as the game reached halftime.
Second Half
Brittany Logan, who sat most of the first half after two fouls, scored the first points bringing the Panthers within 10 at 38-28. This was followed by Gordon’s fifth and sixth threes of the game as the Louisiana-Lafayette lead became 44-28.
After Gaby Moss reached the scoreboard with a layup, four consecutive points courtesy of Brown extended the lead for the Cajuns to 48-30.
With the score becoming 50-32, Brown then increased her point total to 10 as Louisiana-Lafayette increased their lead to 20 at 52-32. A free throw and a layup by Ashanti Groover then placed Georgia State within 17 at 52-35.
UL-Lafayette’s 17-point advantage would be maintained as the score became 54-37. A three-pointer from the Panthers’ Morgan Jackson was followed by a jumper by Wilridge as her point total became 14 and the Cajuns’ lead became 16 at 56-40.
With the score at 59-43 in favor of Louisiana-Lafayette, the third and fourth points by Fields was followed by one made free throw by Miranda Smith producing a 61-44 score. Wilridge increased her point total to 17 with two free throws. Georgia State’s Makeba Ponder made her first three of the game as the score became 63-47 in favor of the Cajuns.
With just over three minutes to play, this became a 65-49 Louisiana-Lafayette lead. Wilridge’s point total then became 18 with a free throw. This made it 66-49.
After two free throws from Logan that only increased her point output to six, Prejan’s following layup allowed Louisiana-Lafayette to move ahead by a margin of 68-51. One successful free throw from Groover would bring forth a 68-52, the eventual final score for the game.
Georgia State returns to the court on Saturday as they return to the Sports Arena to face Troy at noon.
| Georgia State | Louisiana-Lafayette |
|---|---|
| Nichols: nine points | Watson: eight points |
| Gordon: 20 points, 6-9 three-pointers | Wilridge: 18 points, 8-10 free throws |
