Dec. 29, 2009

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO - Adrienne Johnson scored 20 points while Shanavia Dowdell added 14 points and 16 rebounds to lead Louisiana Tech to a 65-61 win over Stephen F. Austin in the first game of the 2009 UTSA New Year's Classic at the Convocation Center Tuesday evening.

However, it was a couple of key plays by junior guard Whitney Jones late that propelled the Lady Techsters (7-3) to the four-point victory.

After seeing SFA (5-4) storm back from a 17-point second half deficit to take its first and only lead of the game at 61-60 with 1:48 to play on a jumper by Ebony Alexander, Jones sprinted up the court and scored on a fast break layup nine seconds later to give LA Tech a 62-61 advantage.

Jones then blocked a jumper by SFA's Whitney Cormier with 33 seconds to play in the game as Dowdell pulled down the rebound and was fouled. Following two free throws by Dowdell which upped Tech's advantage to 64-61, Jones came up big one final time, forcing Cormier into an off-balance fade-away three-pointer with 21 seconds left.

Tech guard Tiawana Pringle pulled down the miss and hit 1-of-2 free throws as Tech pulled away for its seventh victory of the season.

"Whitney was focused defensively for us," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "We knew that Cormier was an incredible offensive player for them and Whit did a great job of keeping her under control all night. She also came through offensively in a crucial moment late, running the floor and giving us the lead by taking the basketball to the goal. Whitney did all the little things late and gave us a chance to be successful."

Jones' late heroics were necessary after LA Tech saw a 17-point lead early in the second half evaporate. A three-pointer by Jones - one of only two made by LA Tech all night - gave the Lady Techsters 43-26 advantage with 18:57 to play.

However, a conventional three-point play by Alexander started a 12-0 Ladyjacks run over the next five minutes as Tech committed seven turnovers and missed all three of its field goal attempts during the timeframe.

A Dowdell layup at the 14:23 mark broke the scoreless streak for Tech as the Techsters pushed the advantage back out to as many as nine. With Tech lead 55-49 with just under 10 minutes to play SFA used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 55-55 on a pair of free throws by Toni Davis, the first time the game had been tied since the opening tip.

With Tech leading 60-59 on a Johnson free throw with 4:38 to play, both teams went cold before Alexander finally scored with 1:48 to play, giving SFA its only lead of the game and setting up the final heroics for Jones.

Tech won despite committing 27 turnovers in the game and allowing 22 offensive rebounds by the smaller SFA Ladyjacks.

"It's unbelievable that we won," Weatherspoon said. "Playing as poorly as we did in the second half and allowing them to get back into the game; committing 27 turnovers and allowing 22 offensive rebounds. You wouldn't think we would have won. Give SFA credit. Their players played hard for 40 minutes.

"Our kids continued to fight when things weren't going well for us. That's a positive. We must clean things up and sharpen our game in order to win."

Jones finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for Tech, which won despite starting point guard Jasmine Bendolph only playing eight minutes and top reserve Tarkeisha Wysinger not touching the floor due to health issues.

Alexander was the lone SFA player in double figures with 13 points.

Tech shot 40 percent (23-57) from the field, but hit only 8-of-26 field goals in the second half. The Lady Techsters outrebounded SFA 55-47.

LA Tech will face UTSA Wednesday at 7 p.m.