Oct. 28, 2010
Photo Gallery
RUSTON - Although the next four months will determine what type of basketball team the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters have, one thing is for sure.
These girls don't lack for personality.
During Wednesday night's annual Basketball Bonanza, the Lady Techster players came out of their shell ... and in a big way.
With close to 800 basketball fans watching along with members of the Hoop Troop, Regal Blues and cheerleaders, the Lady Techsters put on a show.
"It was a blast," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "We had a great time. We are going in a positive direction with our attendance and we want to give our fans something to enjoy. Our kids had a great time. The enjoyed the moment and the atmosphere. It was fun."
First, it was by spotlight introductions. As each one of the student-athletes was introduced one-by-one, they came down through the fans in the stands on onto the court.
Once all 13 were introduced, the real fun began.
After going off the court and into the north tunnel for a few minutes, the team emerged once again all sporting their black Lady Techster Under Armour travel suits with hoodies pulled over their heads and wearing sunglasses.
Led by ringleaders Jasmine Bendolph and Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey, the team performed an assortment of synchronized dances to a variety of songs including "Car Wash" by Rose Royce and "Put a Ring On It" by Beyonce.
"That's what we wanted to do," Weatherspoon said. "Show the other side of our kids. People don't get to see that side off the court. Obviously, not all of them can dance. We saw that. They worked hard for two days to prepare for this and they had fun with it. All in all, I was pleased with the fun and interaction they had with our fans."
Weatherspoon might have saved the best for last as she entered the arena on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle accompanied by the music "Born to Be Wild."
The night did consist of some basketball as Weatherspoon and her staff put the team through a number of drills to give the fans a taste of what they will see this year.
The Lady Techsters will trade their dancing shoes for their high-tops Tuesday night when they open their exhibition season against Arkansas-Monticello at 6 p.m. in a basketball doubleheader at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Bulldogs follow with an exhibition game against Champion Baptist College.
