Feb. 28, 2008

Box Score

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech used an impressive defensive performance to silence a red-hot Utah State squad as the Lady Techsters defeated the Aggies 62-47 Thursday night in Ruston.

The win snapped Utah State's three-game winning streak which included victories over Nevada and Fresno State.

Tech (13-13, 7-6 WAC) held Utah State to only 32 percent (18-57) shooting for the game, including limiting the Aggies to only one field goal in the first 12-plus minutes of the game as the Lady Techsters built an early nine-point lead they would never relinquish.

"I thought we played as well as we could defensively," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "They really pose some tough match-up problems with those quick guards. (Associate head coach) Joni Crenshaw did an outstanding job with the scouting report and our kids

Tech jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before Utah State's Jenny Gross scored on a layup with 15:50 to play. The Aggies wouldn't hit their next field goal until Gross scored again at the 7:28 mark of the opening stanza.

"We did a lot of switching on on-ball screens," Long said. "I thought our guards did a great job of fighting over the top of on-ball screens and then the few times they got hung up, our posts players did a nice job of stepping over and cutting off dribble penetration."

Freshman Tarkeisha Wysinger scored eight first half points to lead Tech to a 25-18 halftime lead as neither team shot the ball well with the Lady Techsters connecting on 32 percent (10-31) of their field goals and Utah State connecting on 28 percent (7-25).

The Lady Techsters opened the second half on a 6-0 run to grab a 31-18 lead and eventually pushed it out to 45-29 as freshman Adrienne Johnson scored six straight points in a two-minute stretch.

"I thought we executed offensively well tonight," Long said. "Even in the first half, we executed well but we just didn't hit some open shots. We played a lot of this game with two freshmen and two sophomores on the floor and I thought they all played within themselves."

Utah State used a couple of mini-runs to close the Tech lead to as few as 11 at 45-34 and again at 54-43 but the Lady Techsters defensive effort was simply too much for the Aggies to overcome.

Tech shot 52 percent (14-27) from the field in the second half.

Jo Sneed led Tech with 14 points, while Shanavia Dowdell added 13 points and 12 rebounds, Wysinger added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Johnson ended with 10 points.

Gross led Utah State with 14 points while Jamelah Brown added 10.

Tech returns to action Saturday when it hosts Nevada at 7 p.m.