Feb. 1, 2008
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long knows his basketball team is facing an important two week stretch that begins Saturday night when the Lady Techsters host Hawaii at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Long and Co. are currently 3-3 in Western Athletic Conference play and are beginning a two-game homestand against the Rainbow Wahine and league-leading Fresno State (Monday night).
With two wins during the homestand, Tech (9-10 overall) would pull to within one game of the WAC lead at the midway mark of the conference season.
"If we take care of our business, we are right back in thick of race," Long said. "We are in a descent situation, but we can't have a slip up. Every game is very, very important, and Saturday night is one of those games. We have to win at home and go on road and get some wins. These next two weeks are going to be very important."
Hawaii (8-12, 2-5 WAC) enters Saturday's game after a 71-53 loss at New Mexico State Thursday night. Despite the Rainbow Wahine's less than stellar record, Long knows that his team will face a challenge.
"Hawaii can put tremendous size on the court," Long said. "They can go 6-3, 6-4 which can cause problems. They play two different types of zone defenses. They lead the WAC in rebounding and blocked shots so they force you to make jump shots. We are going to have to shoot the ball well, but we are still going to attack inside."
Containing 6-foot-3-inch senior forward Tanya Smith is the key to beating Hawaii. Smith averages 13.1 points per game and ranks second in the nation at 12.2 rebounds a contest.
The Australian native leads the WAC in double doubles with 14, one ahead of Tech senior forward JoKeirra Sneed. Smith pulled down 25 rebounds in a win over Idaho Jan. 26, tying former Techster Cheryl Ford for the WAC single game mark.
"Smith is a tough matchup," Long said. "She can score in a number of ways and is relentless on the glass. We will have to do a good job of defending her and keeping her off the boards."
Sneed will have the task of slowing Smith down. The Techster forward has comparable numbers to Smith, averaging 14.1 points and 10.1 rebounds a game while shooting 54 percent from the field. Sneed has also done plenty of damage at the free throw line recently, hitting 88 percent (37-42) of her free throws in WAC games, including a current streak of 20 straight.
Tech leads the all-time series against Hawaii 17-2, although the Rainbow Wahine defeated the Lady Techsters 60-59 in Ruston last year.
What: Hawaii (8-12, 2-5) at Louisiana Tech (9-10, 3-3) Where: Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. When: 7 p.m. Saturday Radio: KXKZ 107.5 Internet Audio: www:z1075fm.com Internet Video: www.latechtv.com
