UL coach takes blame after second straight loss
The Ragin' Cajuns dropped a 67-60 decision to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, extending their winless start to 0-2.
By Arjun Weber ·
Quannas White called his team "extremely frustrated" after the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns fell to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night. The 67-60 loss at the Cajundome marked the second consecutive defeat for the university, leaving the program with a 0-2 record. White accepted full responsibility for the performance, stating that the effort was not what he expects from his squad.
The offense stalled in the second half, with the team failing to score a field goal for nearly 11 minutes. That drought ended only when De'Vion Lavergne made three consecutive three-pointers in the final 59 seconds. Despite the late surge, the Cajuns shot just 17 percent from the field in the second half. Their overall field goal percentage for the game was 31.3 percent.
Defensive struggles compounded the shooting issues. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi outrebounded Louisiana 40 to 22. No player on the Cajun roster grabbed more than four rebounds. The Islanders' bench also outscored UL 31 to 11. White noted that the visitors won every category of physical competition, including loose balls.
Jamyron Keller led the scoring with 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Mekhi Cooper added 17 points, going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Until the final minute, no other player had more than six points. Dani Pounds finished with six points on 1-of-9 shooting and four rebounds. Trent Middleton played only five minutes before leaving with a concussion.
White emphasized that the team must improve its toughness. He said the players are hurting but need to make changes to compete. The coach expressed confidence that the group will correct these issues as the season progresses. He noted that facing adversity early is better than later in the year.
The Islanders were led by Bineal Basil with 14 points and six rebounds. Daniel Michelini-Jackson contributed 12 points, and Desmond Kent added 10 points. The visitors shot 46.5 percent from the field and made five three-pointers on 13 attempts. Louisiana made two more three-pointers than the Islanders, but the team shot 82.1 percent from the free-throw line.
