Dec. 30, 2010

Box Score

MIAMI - Marquette shot 65 percent from the field to defeat Louisiana Tech 83-75 in the championship game of the 2010 Fun and Sun Classic hosted by Florida International Thursday at the U.S. Century Bank Arena.

The Golden Eagles (12-2) hit 32-of-49 field goals and 15-of-18 free throws to hold off the Lady Techsters (7-5), who led for the majority of the first half before surrendering the lead late in the first half.

"We didn't defend," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "It's as simple as that. I can't say we didn't have good energy, but we just didn't defend and get stops. We can't allow any team to shoot 65 percent and score 83 points and expect to win."

Tech, which knocked off Georgia 77-62 on Wednesday to advance to the championship game, shot 44 percent for the game but hit only 8-of-17 free throws to fall for the fifth time this season.

The 75 points scored by the Lady Techsters were the second most given up by Marquette this year, falling four points shy of the 79 scored by top-ranked Connecticut.

Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey led LA Tech with 19 points, six assists, four steals and four rebounds in 40 minutes of action and joined teammate Adrienne Johnson on the all-tournament team. Johnson, who scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win over Georgia, recorded another double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

However, Weatherspoon said it was her team's inability to get Johnson involved in the second half that was one of the reasons for the setback.

"Our offense has to go through Adrienne Johnson," Weatherspoon said. "She has to touch the ball. She doesn't have to shoot it, but she needs touches. We went away from what was working for us early. We were going inside out and having success. Then we became a perimeter basketball team."

Tech built a 16-10 first half lead before Marquette used a 7-0 run to claim its first lead of the day at 17-16 with 10:40 to play in the opening period. A Johnson layup at the 5:17 mark of the first half gave the Lady Techsters a 31-30 advantage - its last of the game.

Marquette used an 11-4 run over the next three minutes to build its largest lead of the first half a 41-35 before a Johnson layup and Kiara Young layup cut the deficit to 42-39 at the half.

The two teams continued to battle back and forth in the second half as the score was tied six different occasions, the last time coming at 58-58 with 11:47 to play on a Johnson jumper. However, Marquette used a 7-0 run to retake the lead and the closest the Lady Techsters would get was 71-68 with 5:01 to play on a Wysinger-Mackey three-pointer.

Jasmine Bendolph and Young each scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds while Bendolph added seven assists.

Tatiyana McMorris led Marquette with 19 points while Jasmine Collins added 15 points.

Tech returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Southern Miss at 2 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.