BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky ? For the third straight season, Louisiana Tech will open the season against its old Sun Belt Conference rival as the Lady Techsters face Western Kentucky Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The game will be televised live on Fox College Sports Atlantic, which reaches 54 million homes as it is available in 47 of the top 50 markets in the country. It can also be heard on the Louisiana Tech Radio Network on ESPN 97.7 FM and via the Internet at www.espn977.com with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.
Although the contest will be the season opener for Tech ? the Lady Techsters join Alcorn State as the only two Division I teams yet to play a regular season game ? , it will mark the fourth regular season contest for the Lady Toppers (2-1).
?It?s a concern,? said Tech head coach Chris Long. ?There is nothing like having game experience and they have three under their belts. However, it is what is is. We are excited, and I think we are ready to play.?
Long will take the youngest team in Division I basketball into the contest as the entire Tech roster boasts only five career collegiate starts ? two by
Tiawana Pringle, and one each by Jo Sneed,
Sierra Nixon and
Whitney Jones.
Tech, which lost all five of its starters from a year ago, will also rely on a number of newcomers to play significant minutes including true freshmen
Adrienne Johnson and
Tarkeisha Wysinger.
?Western Kentucky is tough no matter when you play them,? Long said. ?They will have a good crowd I?m sure. It will be a tough environment, but I honestly don?t think some of our newcomers scare very easily. I really feel like we are ready.?
Western Kentucky enters the game having won two of its first three contests of the year, including a pair of home wins over East Tennessee State and Evansville. The Lady Toppers one setback came at No. 23 Notre Dame.
WKU is led by All-American candidate Crystal Kelly, a 6-foot-3 post who has tremendous hands and the ability to score inside and outside. Kelly is averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 57 percent from the field.
?Kelly is going to get her points,? Long said. ?I just don?t think there is a way to keep her from scoring. We just have to make sure their second and third player don?t have big nights for them. That is the key for us.?
Tech leads the all-time series against Western Kentucky 24-11 although the Lady Toppers have won three of the last four, including last year?s 73-60 win in Ruston.
