By: Quixem Ramirez
“I truly believed when we went into overtime—I thought we were going to win the game, to be honest with you,” Antoine said. There was no doubt in Coach Zenarae Antoine’s mind after a layup by Peoples scored the initial five points in the first overtime period before Louisiana-Lafayette responded with a 11-6 run in the next three minutes.
Texas State forced a second overtime period when Ayriel Anderson, junior guard, converted a jump shot on the final possession. The Ragin’ Cajuns outlasted the Bobcats in the second overtime in their 83-81 victory.
“Obviously this is a really tough game for me because it’s really tough for the kids,” Antoine said. “I just think we ran out of time, but my hat goes off to Lafayette to come in after a loss. They won that game.”
Antoine pointed to the rebounding department as the culprit for the loss. The Bobcats allowed a season-high 25 offensive rebounds, translating to 13 second-chance points for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
“I’m definitely disappointed,” Antoine said. “We talked about it, but we didn’t get the job done. I think if you have to look at it, that’s where we lost the game. Twenty-five offensive rebounds is ridiculous.”
Jacqueline Jeffcoat, senior forward, reached double digits in points for the first time since Dec. 30, 2014, snapping a nine-game streak.
Jeffcoat, who tallied 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss, reiterated Antoine’s point.
“I wasn’t worried about hitting my shots,” Jeffcoat said. “We just wanted to rebound and win.”
Taeler Deer, freshman guard, joined Jeffcoat in double figures to support the Texas State starters. Deer and Jeffcoat combined for 27 points and 14 rebounds.
“They did a great job offensively, being able to come in and find those moments,” Antoine said. “Anytime you bring Jacqueline and Taeler (off) the bench, you’re gonna get that piece. This team has multiple young women that can score in huge numbers.”
Antoine utilized a zone in the second half in response to Louisiana-Lafayette’s shooting. The Ragin’ Cajuns are last in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, making 86 out of 348 attempts this year.
Antoine said the zone was beneficial in order to create rebound opportunities and protect her players with foul trouble.
“This is traditionally not a 3-point shooting team, but they hit big shots,” Antoine said. “Staying in the zone was the right thing to do. It made sense for us. Lafayette stepped up and made some big shots. They didn’t die.”
The Bobcats attacked a matchup advantage by incorporating Peoples in the post. Antoine identified the mismatch and put Peoples, who set season-highs in points (23) and free throws (11), in a position to capitalize.
“Erin is one of the top five players in the conference and played like it tonight for sure,” Antoine said. “She took the team on her back. Whatever way she needed to score—and she found a way to score.”
Texas State’s loss ended a three-game winning streak, putting the team in a tie for third place in the conference.
“I don’t question their heart whatsoever,” Antoine said. “Their heart was definitely there. I just think Lafayette played hard as well.”
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