LAFAYETTE, La. (Interstat) — The Old Dominion Lady Monarchs used a dominant first half to build a substantial lead and then weathered a determined comeback attempt by Louisiana-Lafayette to secure a 72-61 victory in a women’s college basketball game Wednesday night at the Cajundome.

Old Dominion improved to 14-10 overall, while Louisiana-Lafayette fell to 2-21.

The Lady Monarchs seized control from the opening tip, racing out to a 22-13 lead after the first quarter. They extended their advantage by holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to just 10 points in the second period, taking a 39-23 lead into halftime. The defensive effort was key, as Louisiana-Lafayette managed to connect on only 20 of 55 field goal attempts for the game, a 36.4% clip. Old Dominion also dominated the glass, securing 15 offensive rebounds which led to 16 second-chance points.

However, the Ragin’ Cajuns, led by a game-high 27 points from Mikaylah Manley, refused to capitulate. They emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, outscoring Old Dominion 21-20 in the third quarter. A 10-2 run early in the fourth, capped by a Lily Ba 3-pointer with 9:15 remaining, cut the deficit to 49-44 and brought the crowd of 616 to its feet.

The most important sequence of the game followed immediately. Old Dominion, facing its first real threat of the half, responded with a critical 7-0 spurt to restore order. The run was fueled by interior play, with Riley Stack converting an offensive rebound and Mariah Clayton scoring on a layup. Simaru Fields then buried a 3-pointer off a Clayton assist, pushing the lead back to 56-44 with 8:00 to play and effectively halting the Louisiana-Lafayette surge.

Louisiana-Lafayette would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way as Old Dominion made enough free throws down the stretch to close out the win.

Fields led a balanced Old Dominion attack with 12 points and four assists. Clayton added 11 points, while Stack contributed 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Nakiyah Allen provided a significant spark off the bench with seven points in just seven minutes of action.

For the Ragin’ Cajuns, Manley’s 27 points came on 10-of-24 shooting. Kahlen Norris added eight points, and Amijah Price came off the bench to score nine. Bianca Silva, who played all 40 minutes, finished with five points, two assists and four steals but also committed seven turnovers.

Statistically, Old Dominion’s efficiency proved decisive. The Lady Monarchs scored 72 points on 70 possessions for an offensive rating of 103.5, while Louisiana-Lafayette managed only 61 points on the same number of possessions for a rating of 87.3. Old Dominion also won the battle in the paint, outscoring Louisiana-Lafayette 32-24.

The victory gives Old Dominion momentum as it prepares to hit the road for a game at Ohio on Saturday. Louisiana-Lafayette will look to snap its skid when it travels to face Akron, also on Saturday.