Boxscore

RUSTON - Trailing by 10 points with 2:34 to play in the first half, Louisiana Tech used a 43-12 run over the next 20 minutes to down Hawaii 68-54 before 2,370 fans at the Thomas Assembly Center Saturday night.

For the third straight home conference game, Tech (10-4, 6-0 WAC) found itself trailing at the half but came out of the locker room energized and won its 98th straight regular season home league game.

After scoring the first two buckets of the game, the Lady Techsters saw Hawaii dominate the majority of the first half. When Rainbow Wahine guard Janevia Taylor hit a three-pointer with 2:36 remaining in the stanza, Hawaii led 34-24.

The halftime deficit marked the ninth time in 14 games that Tech has either trailed or been tied at the break.

"I still don't understand it," said junior guard Tasha Crain, who scored a game-high 12 points and added six assists and six rebounds. "I don't know why. We just seem to be a second half team. Hopefully, we will find a solution to the problem soon. We came out soft."

Fortunately for the Techsters, the run began over the final two minutes of the half as Tech scored the final eight points and trailed only 34-32 at the break. Hawaii outrebounded Tech 28-23 in the opening 20 minutes led by senior guard Jade Abele's 14 first half boards.

Tech started the second half where it left off the first half, quickly taking a one-point lead at the 18:03 mark of the game on a jumper by center Margaret DeCiman. The advantage grew to double digits on a jumper by Crain at the 11:56 mark of the game and Hawaii would get no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Crain spearheaded a Tech defensive effort that held Hawaii to only 29 percent (19-66) shooting for the game, including only 7-for-26 in the second half. However, Tech head coach Kurt Budke said it was Crain's offensive aggressiveness in the second half that he liked.

"She just has to score for us right now," Budke said. "I thought she passed up too many scoring opportunities in the first half. We have to convince her that right now she is our best threat."

After being outrebounded in the first half by Hawaii 28-23, Tech dominated the glass over the final 20 minutes and ended the game with a 50-42 rebounding advantage. Sophomore forward Tamika Kursh registered her second straight (and career) double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Shan Moore scored 11 points and pulled down six rebounds for Tech as well.

Abele led Hawaii with 10 points and 15 rebounds while Amy Sanders scored 11 points and Taylor added 10 points.

Tech returns to action Saturday when it travels to Dallas to face SMU at 2 p.m.