Feb. 18, 2002

Box Score

DENVER - Michael Southall led all players with 26 points and 11 rebounds as Louisiana-Lafayette sprang free from a close ballgame to register a 74-60 win over the University of Denver in Sun Belt Conference action Monday night at Magness Arena.

The loss ended a bittersweet night for the Pioneers, who said goodbye to four seniors as part of Senior Night festivities. Denver (8-18, 3-11 SBC) closes out the regular season at New Orleans on Saturday.

Senior forward Sherman Rochell (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Northern Oklahoma College) led the Pioneers with 20 points, six assists and three steals, while junior B.J. Pratt (San Antonio, Texas / Converse Judson HS) added 12 points.

Reserve guard Antoine Landry came off the bench for 20 points for the Ragin' Cajuns, making 4-of-7 shots from behind the arc.

Guards Phillip Heath (Seattle, Wash. / Rainier Beach HS) and Tyrone Turner (Denver, Colo. / George Washington HS) and forwards Rochell and Wahhab Carter (El Reno, Okla. / El Reno HS) all started the game after being honored in a pre-game ceremony. Heath hit his only shot of the night, a 3-pointer, to tie the game up at 3-all with 18 minutes, 26 seconds left in the first half.

Denver staked out to a 15-12 lead, and the Ragin' Cajuns (17-9, 10-4) kept the game close despite shooting a dismal 13.6 percent (3-of-22) in the first 12:29. But later in the half, a 10-2 run keyed by a pair of Southall baskets gave ULL its first lead since the opening basket of the game at 26-24 with 3:30 to play in the half.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from sophomore Ryan Goral (Westminster, Colo. / Horizon HS) and Pratt gave the Pioneers a 36-29 lead with 1:03 left, yet a Landry 3-pointer and a tip-in by Southall at the halftime buzzer brought the Cajuns within two at the break (36-34).

The Pioneers held a tenuous grip on the lead through the first 6 minutes of the second half before Landry hit another 3-pointer as the Cajuns took a 44-43 lead with 12:48 to play. A Rochell jumper gave Denver a 50-49 lead with 9:33 left, but a quick 6-0 Cajun run started a snowball effect that had the game decided within the next four minutes.

"I thought we came out with a great deal of intensity in the first half. We were leading them in every area of the game," said head coach Terry Carroll. "But in the second half, their size and strength took over, and we bailed them out with fouls and letting them shoot free throws. We couldn't play up to our full strength because of foul trouble."