Ragin’ Cajuns repeat as WBI Champion
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, March 30, 2016
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette successfully defended their Women’s Basketball Invitational Championship on Saturday with an 87-85 double overtime victory over Weber State University at the Earl K. Long Gymnasium.
Sylvana Okde broke an 85-85 tie by hitting a pair of free throws with 8 seconds remaining in the game.
The top-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns trailed 16-13 after the first quarter, but came back to tie seventh-seeded Weber State at 31-31 by half.
Louisiana outscored Weber State, 20-18, in the third quarter, but Weber State outscored the Ragin’ Cajuns by the same scored in the fourth, sending the game to overtime tied 69-69.
The teams played to an 8-8 tie in the initial overtime period, forcing a second overtime where Louisiana won that period, 10-8.
The biggest lead by either team was eight, which Weber State held in the second period at 26-18.
The game featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes.
Gabby Alexander, a 2013 Bogalusa High School graduate, scored two points, hitting both of her free-throw attempts. She also had two rebounds and an assist in nine minutes of playing time.
Louisiana finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 25-10 record, which tied the program’s single-season record for victories in a season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns won seven of their final eight games.