Feb. 27, 2008

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech returns to the court from a 12-day break just in time to face the hottest teams in the Western Athletic Conference as the Utah State Aggies enter the Thomas Assembly Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday.

Utah State (9-16, 5-8 WAC) enters the game on a three-game winning streak, including upset victories over Nevada (56-48) and WAC-leading Fresno State (44-40) last week.

Tech head coach Chris Long knows his team is in for a battle against a Utah State team that has never beaten the Lady Techsters.

"They are on fire," Long said. "They've beaten some very good teams and won three in a row. They are holding these teams in the 40's, which means they are playing really good defense. I've always felt like they are difficult to defend with three quick guards. We will have to play well."

Utah State opened the WAC season winning two straight before hitting the wall, losing eight straight games including a 71-56 setback against Louisiana Tech Jan. 26 in Logan. However, the Aggies broke the losing streak with a 61-60 road victory at San Jose State and then reeled off two impressive home wins against Nevada and Fresno State.

The Aggies boast only one player in double figures in guard Taylor Richards (10.3 ppg), but do bring a balanced offensive attack into Ruston as guard Danyelle Snelgro (9.6 ppg), forward Jenny Gross (9.4 ppg) and guard Jamelah Brown (8.7 ppg) are all contributing on a nightly basis.

Long said he is not only concerned about the Aggies but also his team which hasn't played since defeating San Jose State 70-54 on Feb. 16 in Ruston.

"It's kind of uncharted territory," Long said. "I don't know if we've ever been off this long, even for Christmas. I hope we aren't rusty. I know we have had some really good practices and we've been able to work on a number of things. We're ready to play someone besides ourselves."

Tech (12-13, 6-6 WAC) continues to be led by WAC MVP candidate JoKeirra Sneed, who is averaging 16.4 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. In 12 WAC games, Sneed is averaging 19.8 points and 10.8 rebounds and has scored 20 or more points six times.

The Lady Techsters lead the all-time series against the Aggies 5-0.

What: Utah State (9-16, 5-8 WAC) at Louisiana Tech (12-13, 6-6) When: 7 p.m. Thursday Where: Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. Radio: ESPN 97.7 FM Internet Audio: www.espn977.com Internet Video: www.latechtv.com