NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Year No. 2 of the Kurt Budke era at Louisiana Tech officially begins Friday night when the 12th-ranked Lady Techsters open the season against Stephen F. Austin at the William R. Johnson Coliseum at 7 p.m.

After two relatively easy victories against over-matched exhibition squads, Budke and Co. will face a Stephen F. Austin squad that annually competes for the Southland Conference title and has been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament for the past two decades.

The game will pit two of the winningest programs in the history of NCAA Division I women's basketball as Louisiana Tech ranks No. 2 with 824 victories while Stephen F. Austin ranks No. 5 with 729 victories.

"I think it will be a great road test for us," Budke said. "SFA is always picked to win the Southland Conference title; I think they've won like (13) of the last (15) titles. Their a team that begins every year thinking they belong in the NCAA Tournament."

Ladyjacks head coach Lee Ann Riley returns only two starters and five letter winners from last year's squad that posted a 15-13 record and finished second in the SLC race. For the second straight year, Riley's out of conference schedule ranks among the nation's toughest with games against Colorado State, Duke, Oklahoma and Arkansas also on the slate.

LaToya Mills, the 2003 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, headlines the Stephen F. Austin returners, averaging 10.0 points and 7.6 rebounds a game during her rookie campaign.

The Techsters biggest question entering the season is on the front line, where senior forward Trina Frierson, who has already been tabbed as the Western Athletic Conference's Preseason Player of the Year, isn't 100 percent healthy. Frierson's participation in Friday's opener is questionable.

"The biggest key early in the year for us will be our health," Budke said. "We have to get back to being 100 percent healthy. Trina might not be 100 percent for quite some time, and we have to be able to weather that problem."

However, even with the Frierson issue, Budke's cupboard is far from bare as a stable of lightning quick guards and an ever-improving Amisha Carter form an impressive combination. Carter, who came off the bench last year to relieve the departed Cheryl Ford, hit 21 of 24 field goals and averaged 25.0 points in the two exhibition wins.

"We also have to get back the game intensity that we finished the season with last year," Budke said. "I don't care what anyone says, even if you have experienced people, they lose the intensity over the summer and the only way to get that is to play live competition. We'll still be the biggest game on everyone's schedule."

Tech owns a 23-5 advantage in the series with Stephen F. Austin, including an 80-44 victory over the Ladyjacks in Ruston last year.

The game can be heard over the Louisiana Tech Sports Network on KXKZ-FM 107.5 and via the Internet at www.z1075fm.com with the pre-game showing beginning at 6:30 p.m.