Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long might petition the NCAA to just do away with the first half of basketball games and start after halftime.

For the second straight game, Tech (12-13, 6-6 WAC) shot dismally in the opening 20 minutes of play before catching fire coming out of the locker room this time pulling away for a 70-54 win over San Jose State Saturday night at the Thomas Assembly Center.

"It didn't come easy," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "I felt like in first half we got the basketball where we wanted it and that's inside, but they did a nice job of double teaming and we stood around too much. I felt like in second half we started mixing up what we were running and really executed much better. That was the difference in the game."

Tied 28-28 at the half after shooting only 28 percent (8-29) from the field in the first half, the Lady Techsters opened the second half by scoring 14 unanswered points to push the advantage to 42-28 at the 16:20 mark on a jumper by Nastassja Levingston.

Tech hit five of its first six field goals in the second half and appeared ready to put the game away.

However, San Jose State (2-22, 1-10 WAC) wouldn't give up as backup guard Emily Nichols hit three consecutive three-pointers in a 65 second span to pull the Spartans within 42-37.

"I thought we defended well at times, but we also lost their shooter too many times and gave up too many threes to her," Long said. "If you take away those - and you can't - I felt like we defended pretty well tonight."

Tech pushed its lead back out to double digits at 53-43 with 7:56 to play on a layup by Tarkeisha Wysinger before the Spartans made one list mini-run closing the gab to 53-47 on a layup by Brittany Powell at the 6:37 mark of the final half.

The Lady Techsters ended the game on a 17-7 run for the final margin of victory.

For the sixth time in 12 Western Athletic Conference games, senior forward Jo Sneed eclipsed the 20-point plateau, ending the night with 25 points and six rebounds despite being double teamed by the Spartans.

"Jo is a warrior for us," Long said. "She wants the basketball and she is delivering every night."

Wysinger added 14 points for Tech which shot 42 percent for the game, including 61 percent (14-23) in the second half.

Nichols led San Jose State with 15 points - all coming on three-pointers - while Powell added 12 points.

Tech has 12 days off before facing Utah State at home on Feb. 28.