Nov. 15, 2010
GameDay Central
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Game Notes
RUSTON - Although Louisiana Tech departed the Sun Belt Conference almost a decade ago, fans of the Lady Techsters and the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers remember the battles of the two women's basketball powers vividly.
On Tuesday night, the two programs will meet for the 39th time on the hardwood when Teresa Weatherspoon and Co. host Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
It's a game that Weatherspoon said will challenge her team.
"They are a very good basketball team," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "This will be an early test to see where we are. They have great talent from one through five and their bench is very strong."
Tech (1-0) opened the season with a convincing 79-46 win over Prairie View A&M where senior forward Adrienne Johnson scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds while guards Jasmine Bendolph and Whitney Jones each added 10 points.
Johnson will lead an undersized Tech frontline that will face a WKU frontline that includes seven players listed at 6-foot-1 or taller, including first team all-Sun Belt selection Arnika Brown. The senior forward averaged 11.1 points and 11.1 rebounds last year and pulled down a career-high 25 rebounds in a win over South Alabama.
However, Brown isn't a one-woman show as Weatherspoon will be the first to say.
"This is one time we will face a team that can really bring some size off the bench. It will make it difficult on us. We have to put the work in defensively to try to contain them. We must defend, take them out of their comfort zone and rebound the basketball in order to be successful. They are a very talented team."
Senior guard Amy McNear joined Brown on the preseason first squad making WKU the only SBC program with a pair of first teamers on the preseason team. Western returns eight letterwinners and two starters from last year's team that posted a 21-11 record and finished second in the Sun Belt East Division.
Tech leads the all-time series against WKU 25-13, including last year's 63-52 come-from-behind victory over the Lady Toppers. Tech leads the series 14-4 in Ruston although WKU has won the past two times the teams have met at the TAC.
The contest will be the first regular season game for the Lady Toppers, who were tabbed as the preseason favorites to win the Sun Belt Conference's East Division.
The contest can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on ESPN 97.7 FM with the pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans can also watch a live stream of the game by purchasing a subscription to LA Tech All-Access at www.latechsports.com.
