Women's hoops now 0-11 following loss to Troy

Last weekend, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns learned why the Denver University Pioneers are the second best team in the Sun Belt Conference and why the Troy University Trojans (1-10) are the second-worst team in the Sun Belt Conference.

Saturday's game against the struggling Trojans was a clash of the anti-Titans, as both teams opened up Conference play 0-10. Though the Cajuns lost by six points, it was one of the best games they have had this season. UL shot 35 percent from the field, had 13 steals and a season low of 10 turnovers.

For the record, that marks the first time in conference the Cajuns have had more steals than turnovers, and only the second time they have had less than 16 turnovers.

Of course, the Cajuns did have their usual rebounding problems. Troy grabbed 12 more boards than UL, which managed only six offensive rebounds. Rebounding, along with three-point shooting (35 percent), allowed the Trojans to make up for their 18 turnovers and -7 steal deficit.

"We had the chance to win late in the game," said UL head coach Errol Rogers. "We turned the ball over a couple of times. We keep on finding ways to lose."

UL's loss against Denver was closer to the mark of how the season is going. The Pioneers held the Cajuns to under 30 rebounds and forced 16 turnovers. The Cajuns also shot only 27 percent from the field, compared to Denver's 50 percent.

"We've shown signs that we can play," said Rogers. "We've just got to put it together, and it starts with the coaching staff."

The coaching staff is the structure of the team, and if the head coach does not know what he is doing, the team will not either. The Cajuns' 19 turnover average per conference game has nothing to do with the skill of the players; rather, it shows poor play design and preparation.

The confusion and uncertainty the Cajuns have on the court is obvious. The only question is: what will be done to fix it?

The Cajuns now face the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (7-3) Wednesday and Arkansas State University (3-7) Saturday afternoon in a two-game homestead. The Cajuns' closest conference game this season was a 55-52 loss against Arkansas State, so it stands to reason the Cajuns could grab their first win. To win, UL will have to minimize turnovers and get on a roll from 3-point range.