Boxscore

Louisiana Tech used a 16-0 run early in the second half to down UTEP 74-47 Friday afternoon in semifinal action of the 2004 McCaffrey Western Athletic Conference Tournament at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Cal.

The win, Tech?s 18th in a row on the year and 25th in a row in conference tournaments, sends the sixth-ranked Lady Techsters into Saturday?s championship game against either Rice or Tulsa. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m. CST.

With Tech leading 33-28 at the 18:29 mark of the second half after an Ingrid Goslin jumper, the Lady Techsters held UTEP scoreless for over six minutes while converting numerous steals into easy points. By the time UTEP?s Noni Wharemate hit a three-pointer with 12:20 remaining, Tech led 49-31 and the Miners would get no closer the rest of the way.

?It took a while for our pressure to take effect,? said Tech head coach Kurt Budke, who saw his team force 21 turnovers while recording 14 steals. ?We knew it would be this kind of game and not an 80-point (scoring day for us).?

Sophomore point guard Tasha Crain ignited the 16-0 Tech run with a spectacular off-balanced, one-handed floater in the lane where she was sandwiched between two UTEP defenders, drawing the foul and converting the three-point play. Less than 30 seconds later, Tech?s Erica Smith-Taylor hit a three-pointer and Tech led 41-28 and was well on its way to the championship game.

?Tasha does a great job jump starting us with big plays like that and her defense,? Budke said. ?That play was huge.?

While the Tech guards were everywhere on the defensive end of the floor, Tech forwards Amisha Carter and Trina Frierson dominated down low on the offensive side with Carter scoring a game-high 23 points and Frierson adding 12. Carter added 12 rebounds for her 15th double double of the season.

Carter scored 16 of her 23 points in the decisive second half.

?I?ve been in a slump and just wanted to step up my game (in the second half),? Carter said.

The Tech defense held UTEP to only 28 percent (16-58) shooting, including a mere 19 percent (6-31) in the second half after the Lady Techsters held a 31-23 halftime lead. Tech also stepped up its rebounding in the second half, outrebounding UTEP 30-17 in the final 20 minutes and 46-36 for the game.

?I thought we played really well in the first half to keep the game close,? said UTEP head coach Keitha Green. ?In the second half, the press started to affect us and we turned the ball over too much. I think Louisiana Tech?s level of play rose in the second half.?

The first 20 minutes of the game was played at the Miners pace, as UTEP was successful in slowing the temp down and not falling into a run and gun pace.

?Each tough game challenges us as a team,? Smith-Taylor said. ?Every tough situation only makes us better.?

Goslin led UTEP with 15 points and 13 rebounds while Wharemate added 11 points and Vaida Zagurskyte chipped in with 10 points.

With the win, Tech improved to 16-1 all-time in conference tournament semifinal games and has won 25 straight conference tournament games dating back to a loss in the championship game of the 1995 Sun Belt Tournament.

Saturday?s championship game can be heard on KXKZ-FM 107.5 and via the Internet at www.z1075fm.com with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m.