March 4, 2010

Box Score

MOSCOW, Idaho - Adrienne Johnson scored 23 points to lead Louisiana Tech to a 63-56 win over Idaho Wednesday night at the Cowan Spectrum in Western Athletic Conference women's basketball action.

Johnson scored 16 of her game-high 23 points in the first half to help the Lady Techsters (20-7, 11-4) build a 32-22 halftime lead despite the fact that Shanavia Dowdell played only six minutes due to foul trouble.

Dowdell picked up her second personal foul at the 13:43 mark of the half with LA Tech trailing 13-8 but a Johnson layup one minute later triggered a 16-2 run that gave the Lady Techsters a 24-15 advantage. Johnson scored 10 of the 16 points during the run.

Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon also turned to her bench as Tarkeisha Wysinger, Brietta Thomas, Martina Holloway and Kiara Young played key minutes during the half and contributed on both ends of the floor.

After Idaho cut the Tech lead to 26-22 with just over four minutes to play in the half, Weatherspoon inserted the trio of reserve guards back into the game and they turned up the defensive pressure as Tech held Idaho without a point in claiming the 10-point halftime lead.

Dowdell, who entered the game with 12 straight double doubles, was in jeopardy of having that streak broken as she only had six points and one rebound at the half. However, the reigning WAC Player of the Year came up big in the second half as she ended the night with 11 points and 11 boards for her 20th double double of the season.

Tech's starting three guards of Tiawana Pringle, Jasmine Bendolph and Whitney Jones - who combined for only two points in the opening half - scored 15 second half points as the Lady Techsters built as 22-point lead at 56-34 with only 7:42 to play in the game.

However, the Vandals (9-19, 7-8) wouldn't go away quietly as Bianca Cheever's layup ignited a 20-5 run over the next six minutes as Idaho cut the lead to 61-54 with just under two minutes to play. Charlotte Otero, who led Idaho with 18 points, scored seven points while Cheever added eight during the run which saw Tech hit an offensive cold spell.

Idaho had an opportunity to cut into the seven-point deficit with just over a minute to play but the Vandals turned the basketball over and then inexplicably decided not to foul down the stretch as Tech posted the 63-56 victory.

Tech shot 48 percent (29-61) from the field while holding the Vandals to only 35 percent (23-66), including only 7-of-31 from beyond the arc.

The Lady Techsters close out their regular season Saturday at 3 p.m. at Boise State.