Jan. 23, 2010

Box Score

FRESNO - Jaleesa Ross scored 31 points to lead Fresno State to a 71-61 win over Louisiana Tech before 3,449 fans at the Save Mart Center Saturday night in Western Athletic Conference basketball action.

With the win, Fresno State improved to 15-5 on the year, 5-0 in the WAC, while Louisiana Tech fell to 12-5, 3-2 in league play.

In a game that saw seven ties and seven lead changes, Fresno State made the plays on both ends of the floor over the final 10 minutes to pull away for the victory. With the game tied at 55-55 on a Tarkeisha Wysinger layup with 10:46 to play, the Bulldogs outscored the Lady Techsters 16-6 down the stretch for the 10-point victory.

"Defend, defend, defend," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "We didn't defend. We let them drive right by us and shoot layups too many times in the second half. I'm furious. I don't know what else to say. We have to take pride in our defense and tonight we didn't do that."

LA Tech hit only 2-of-12 field goals over the final 10 minutes while also committing six turnovers. Fresno State also benefited from a questionable call in a crucial point of the game that helped the Bulldogs pull away.

With the Bulldogs leading 61-57, Tech's Adrienne Johnson drove through the lane and hit a running jumper while drawing contact with 4:57 to play as it appeared she would have an opportunity to complete a conventional three-point play and bring her team within one.

However, the officials called Johnson for an offensive foul, waving off the basket and then assessed Weatherspoon with a technical foul. Ross hit one free throw and then hit a layup on the ensuing possession to push the advantage out to 64-57.

Tech would not recover as Fresno State won for the sixth time in the last seven meetings between the two programs.

"We didn't help ourselves," Weatherspoon said. "Thirteen turnovers in the second half is inexcusable, and we did it to ourselves. Too many times we were starting our offense too far away from the basket, and we just didn't handle the basketball in the second half like we should have."

Fresno State built as much as a nine-point lead in the first half at 37-28 on a jumper by Emma Andrews with 3:18 to play before the Lady Techsters ended the half on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 37-35 at the half.

Johnson scored 14 of her team-high 18 points in the first half while Wysinger added eight points in the opening stanza. Tech trailed by only two at the half despite the fact Shanavia Dowdell was 0-for-5 from the field with two points.

Tech came out in the second half scoring the first five points and taking a 40-37 lead on a three-point play by Whitney Jones. Tech led five different times in the first five minutes of the second half but surrendered the tying or go-ahead basket to the Bulldogs on the ensuing possession each time.

In addition to Johnson's 18 points, Dowdell added 11 points and 15 rebounds while Jones scored 11 and Wysinger added 10.

Hayley Munro scored 11 points for Fresno State.

Tech outrebounded Fresno State 43-34 but hit only 38 percent (23-of-61) of its field goals.

The Lady Techsters return to action Tuesday night when they travel to Reno to face Nevada at 10 p.m. CST in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU.