RUSTON ? Louisiana Tech returns home Saturday night as the Lady Techsters hosts Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center in the home opener for the 2007-08 season.
The contest can be heard on KPCH 99.3 FM and can be seen over the Internet at www.latechtv.com with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tech (2-2) split four games on the road last week, including capturing the 2007 Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Memphis. In their most recent game, the Lady Techsters fell Monday night at top-ranked Tennessee 81-60.
However, head coach Chris Long feels his team will benefit from their performance in the second half against the Lady Vols before almost 15,000 people at Thompson-Boling Arena.
?I think it gave these young players I great example of what you have to do to compete against the best team in the country,? Long said. ?From a rebounding standpoint, defensive standpoint and how you have to take care of the ball. I thought it was really big that we came out and won the second half. Hopefully we will carry that over to Saturday night.?
Senior forward Jo Sneed, who scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against Tennessee, leads Tech averaging 14.3 points and 11.0 rebounds a game while shooting 52 percent from the field.
Sneed has had plenty of offensive help through four games, as
Whitney Jones (12.3 ppg),
Nastassja Levingston (11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and
Shanavia Dowdell (11.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) are also averaging in double figures as Tech is scoring 77.5 points per game.
Two freshmen have also been big for the Lady Techsters thus far as
Adrienne Johnson is averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while
Tarkeisha Wysinger is averaging 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds a contest.
Stephen F. Austin is only 1-4 on the young season although the Lady Jacks ? who defeated Tech 65-55 in Nacogdoches last season ? have lost three of those games by single digits including a 66-60 setback at SMU Wednesday night.
SFA?s other three losses have come to New Orleans (74-69), Tulane (56-45) and Nevada (64-55) while its lone win came against Grambling State (95-57).
The Ladyjacks are also sporting a balanced offensive attack led by Decreasha Goodner (12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Natashia Green (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Nikki Carr (11.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Jordan Ford (10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg).
Long said Stephen F. Austin is better than its record indicates and that his basketball team will be to play well in order to win.
?They are dangerous,? Long said. ?They have played a good schedule and have been in every single game they?ve played. They present some match-up problems with their ability to get to the basket, and that?s an area we?ve had some struggles. They are very guard-oriented and very, very quick.
?Defensively, they give you about six different looks. We will have to recognize and handle their changing defenses.?
Tech leads the all-time series against SFA 24-6, including an 11-1 mark in Ruston.
