TULSA, Okla. - Center Cheryl Ford rebounded from a slow first half and scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second stanza to lead sixth-ranked Louisiana Tech (28-2) to an 85-58 win over Hawaii Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2003 Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

With the victory, the Lady Techsters advance to Saturday's championship game against Fresno State and former Tech assistant Stacy Johnson-Klein who saw her Bulldogs down SMU 81-67 in the day's first semifinal game.

Trina Frierson added 16 points and 11 rebounds while Amisha Carter and Amber Obaze chipped in with 14 points each and Erica Smith 10 as Tech won its 26th straight game of the year.

"Let me just say Hawaii is a very tough team to play," said Tech head coach Kurt Budke. "That team is very big and strong. They take care of the basketball and do a good job of keeping the score down. I thought whoever controlled the pace of the game would win, and we were able to do that."

The 85 points scored by Tech was the most allowed by Hawaii (16-13) this year, surpassing the 75 points scored by Nevada back in February. Tech also shot 49 percent (34-69) from the field against a Rainbow Wahine team that had held its last six opponents under 37 percent.

"The performance by Louisiana Tech was very indicative of what happened throughout the season," said Hawaii head coach Vince Goo. "They dominated our conference. They are a very good basketball team. I congratulate them, and I hope they do very well in the finals and go on to represent the Western Athletic Conference well in the NCAA Tournament."

Trailing 8-6 at the first media timeout at the 15:54 mark of the game, Tech responded with a 10-0 run to grab a 16-8 advantage on an Amisha Carter jumper in the lane.

The Lady Techsters increased their lead to 13 points at 31-18 before both teams battled back and forth before freshman guard Aarica Ray knocked down a three-pointer to give Tech a 14-point lead and all the momentum heading into the halftime locker room.

Tech extended its lead to 27 at the midway mark of the second half and coasted to the victory, its 22nd straight conference tournament win dating back to a 71-68 loss to Western Kentucky in the finals of the 1995 Sun Belt Tournament.

With the win, Tech now must face the Bulldogs of Fresno State, which led from start to finish in its win over SMU earlier Friday afternoon. The Lady Techsters downed Fresno State 63-53 and 87-62 in the two regular season games this year.

" "I know what it means for Louisiana Tech to be in this conference, and what kind of respect they carry nationally," said Johnson-Klein. "I know the respect we'll get if we play them close, and if we upset, which is our plan, our goal. We're not going into that game to lose; we're going to play to win."

Tip off is set for 1 p.m. and the game can be heard live on KXKZ-FM 107.5 and via the Internet at www.z1075fm.com. The game will also be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.