Boxscore

MISSOULA, Montana - It was a tale of two halves for Texas Tech point guard Erin Grant and the Lady Raiders in their contest against Louisiana Tech Monday night in the second round of the Mideast Region.

Fortunately for Louisiana Tech (29-2), it was the final 20 minutes that proved decisive as the Lady Techsters downed the Lady Raiders 81-64 before 4,261 at Dahlberg Arena. With the victory, Tech advances to the Mideast Regional in Norfolk, Va., and will play the winner of Duke and Marquette Sunday at 11 a.m. CST.

Grant hit 6-of-12 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws in the first half to single-handedly keep Texas Tech close, as the Lady Raiders trailed only 43-35 at the half. However, Louisiana Tech head coach Kurt Budke and his staff changed their defensive philosophy against Grant in the second half as the sophomore was held scoreless, missing on all four field goal attempts.

"We went in at half and said if we let Erin Grant score 19 more we're going to get beat," Budke said. "We offered more help from the wings. We tried to clog it up more and have her shoot eight footers instead of two footers."

With Grant held at bay, Texas Tech (25-8) struggled offensively in the final half, hitting only 11 of 35 field goals and turning the basketball over 10 times.

For the second game in a row, Tech junior guard Erica Smith-Taylor carried her team offensively, recording a career-high 30 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from the three-point line and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Smith-Taylor, who scored a career-high 29 points in the first round against Montana Saturday night, ignited the Techsters in the first half with 17 points. Smith-Taylor's heroics were big as Tech played most of the first half without Trina Frierson, who picked up two early fouls and only played five minutes, and with Amisha Carter struggling inside, hitting only 4-of-19 field goals in the game.

"I'm just playing 110 percent and doing what I can do," Smith-Taylor said. "I play as hard as I can and let the game come to me. It's win or go home and nobody wants to go home."

Texas Tech head coach Marsha Sharp, who is now 0-3 against Louisiana Tech in the NCAA Tournament, agreed that Smith-Taylor's performance was the key to the game as the junior from Wheatley, Ark., added 11 rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes.

"I do think she is one of the best wing players in the country," Sharp said. "She certainly had a great weekend. She is so quick to the rim and shoots the three so well. She is a weapon."

After a Chesley Dabbs jumper early in the second half cut the Louisiana Tech lead to 43-39, the Lady Techsters responded. Frierson scored five straight points and then Smith-Taylor added seven more to push the Lady Techster advantage out to 55-42 with 14:41 to play.

Frierson would score six of Tech's next eight points and all of a sudden Tech held a commanding lead of the midway mark of the second half. The Lady Raiders would get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.

"I was very anxious to get back in, but I didn't want to force anything," said Frierson, who scored 13 points and had eight rebounds in just 22 minutes. "Coach Budke and my teammates were counting on me to pick up my game. I was glad I made something happen."

In addition to Smith-Taylor and Frierson, senior guard Amber Obaze added 14 points and played great defense against Natalie Ritchie and Alesha Robertson, while Carter added 13 points and 14 rebounds and Lakiste Barkus came off the Tech bench to score nine points.

The Techsters outrebounded Texas Tech 47-37, including 21 offensive rebounds, and held the Lady Raiders to only 36 percent (24-66) shooting for the game.

Robertson added 13 points for Texas Tech, which failed to advance to the regional semifinals for the first time in six years. Louisiana Tech will be making its 20th regional semifinal appearance in 23 years.

"This team, with three seniors, expected to get to the Sweet 16," Tech coach Kurt Budke said. "With the way Erica has jumped up, anything less would be disappointing."