LAFAYETTE, La. — The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Women’s Basketball team faced a tough challenge against the South Alabama Jaguars on Saturday, January 3 at the Cajundome. Despite their efforts, the Ragin’ Cajuns were unable to overcome a significant deficit and fell 81-56 in the game.

South Alabama started strong, shooting 56% from the field in the first quarter. They hit 10 of their 18 attempts, with Cordasia Harris and Tamara Ortiz each making three of their three shots. This performance helped the Jaguars build a 28-12 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Jags extended their advantage with a 12-0 run that gave them a 17-6 lead, which they never relinquished.

Louisiana struggled to respond during the second quarter. They managed only one field goal in the first six minutes of the half, allowing South Alabama to stretch its lead to 40-15 by halftime. The Ragin’ Cajuns were unable to make any meaningful progress before the break, as the Jaguars continued to dominate the court.

The third quarter saw South Alabama take control of the game even further. A 14-6 run put them ahead 59-29 with 3:36 remaining in the quarter. Amijah Price attempted to lead a comeback for the Ragin’ Cajuns, scoring 18 of her 24 points in the second half. She started the third quarter with a three-point play at 2:39, and over the final 41 seconds, she scored five points with two baskets and a free throw, bringing the score to 62-39.

In the fourth quarter, the Cajuns defense forced three turnovers in the first minute, which Price converted into more points. She made two free throws and a stepback jumper at 9:05, cutting the lead to 62-45. Louisiana extended its run to 18-3 with two Imani Daniel free throws at 8:19, making it 62-47—the closest the Ragin’ Cajuns had come to the Jaguars since the start of the second quarter.

South Alabama responded with a timely basket from Amyah Sutton at 8:09, keeping their lead intact. Stephanie Mosely then answered with a quick basket at 7:51, increasing the gap to 64-49. After both teams traded empty possessions until the 6:22 mark, South Alabama regained their rhythm, going on a 10-1 run over two minutes to extend their lead to 74-50 with 4:28 left in the game.

The loss dropped Louisiana to 1-2 in their current five-game homestand. They had previously won their opening game against Dillard but lost back-to-back SBC games. The Ragin’ Cajuns were also denied a chance to tie South Alabama in their head-to-head matchups, as the Jaguars maintained their 16-14 advantage in Lafayette.

Inside the Box Score

Amijah Price led the Ragin’ Cajuns in scoring for the third consecutive game, tallying 24 points. This marked her second 20-plus point performance of the homestand, following a 30-point effort against Dillard. She was especially effective at the free-throw line, converting 12 of 15 attempts.

Imani Daniel contributed 14 points, marking her eighth double-digit game in the past 10 contests. She shot 50% from the field (5-of-10) and was perfect from the free-throw line (4-of-4). Daniel also grabbed eight rebounds and added two steals.

Mikaylah Manley was the third player in double figures with 10 points. She shot 44% from the field (4-of-9) and added two free throws. Manley also pulled down six rebounds and recorded two steals.

Louisiana pressured South Alabama into 24 turnovers, marking the seventh time this season the Ragin’ Cajuns have forced 20 or more turnovers. The team capitalized on these mistakes, scoring 21 points off of the Jaguars’ errors.

South Alabama outshot Louisiana, hitting 47% of their shots (27-of-57) compared to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 31% (18-of-58). The Jaguars also held an 8-0 advantage in three-pointers and earned 20 second-chance points.

Up Next for Louisiana

Louisiana will complete its homestand next week with games against ULM and Texas State. The Ragin’ Cajuns will face ULM on Thursday, January 8, and Texas State on Saturday, January 10. These games are part of a doubleheader that includes both the men’s and women’s teams.

The Ragin’ Cajuns look to split the series with Texas State, who defeated them 62-55 in their previous matchup on December 17. Live coverage of both games will be available on ESPN+ and The GOAT 103.3 FM and 1420 AM.