March 9, 2010
RENO - When you play in an arena that ranks as the second hardest place in college basketball for opponents to win, one might think that Louisiana Tech would rather be in Ruston than Reno for this week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
However, Teresa Weatherspoon and Co. aren't looking at it that way. When the Lady Techsters face Utah State Wednesday night at 10:30 p.m. CT in the first round of the 2010 WAC Tournament, they plan on making the Lawlor Events Center home.
"I'm not really concerned about it," Weatherspoon said referring to the fact her team has been on the road since last Tuesday when they departed Ruston for Moscow, Idaho. "I might be if we didn't like each other, but this is a very tight group. We are a family. We have played well on the road this year. We will make the adjustment (to being gone so long) and accept that the road is home now."
Tech is 10-4 on the road this year, the second best road mark among WAC teams behind league champion Fresno State's 11-3 record. And although one of those four losses came to the Wolf Pack at Lawlor Events Center in late January, Weatherspoon is confident in her team heading into a stretch of three games in four days.
"It has to be one game at a time especially during this time of the year," Weatherspoon said. "Anything can happen; it's do or die. We will take one game at a time and execute the game plan to get to the next one. We are taking it second by second, minute by minute and that's what it will take to win."
When Tech tips off late Wednesday night, the team will have been gone from Ruston for eight days and 20 hours - already the longest road trip of the year by far.
However, senior guard Tiawana Pringle said that the team isn't letting any of that get in the way of what was their No. 1 goal to start the season -- a possible trip to the NCAA Tournament.
"If we sat around and thought about it, then it might bother us," Pringle said. "Sure, we get bored sometimes, but we understand why we are here so that's what matters. We are here to accomplish a goal we set for ourselves months ago. We understand what we need to in order to be in a position to win. We have to have everyone on the same page, and we think we do have everyone on same page."
Tech's road to the NCAA Tournament could possibly mean having to beat the host team Nevada on their home floor - the Lady Techsters lost to the Wolf Pack 91-88 in overtime in the WAC Tournament semifinals last year - and then undefeated regular season champion Fresno State.
However, Weatherspoon isn't looking past the Aggies of Utah State, a team that defeated LA Tech 69-66 in Ruston on Jan. 6.
"It's one game at a time. We understand the urgency we have to play with now," Weatherspoon said. "That's why they call it March Madness; you have to play like you are mad. I think it will give us some extra motivation and confidence knowing we have both Brietta (Thomas) and Tarkeisha (Wysinger) back for this game. It will give us an extra lift."
Thomas and Wysinger missed Tech's 74-65 loss at Boise State Saturday after being suspended for violating team rules. The duo returns to the floor Wednesday to rejoin their teammates with one goal in mind.
"It would be great (to play in the NCAA Tournament)," Pringle said. "That is one of our goals. We want to get there; not to just say we are in the tournament but to have an opportunity to win some games. "
Two-time WAC Player of the Year Shanavia Dowdell will take her 20 double doubles into the contest against a Utah State team that already proved that they are capable of knocking the Lady Techsters out of the tournament.
In the WAC opener this year, Utah State defeated Tech by three points in Ruston, snapping the Lady Techsters six-game winning streak. Tech returned the favor in early February, defeating the Aggies 74-54 in Logan.
Utah State (13-16, 5-11) won its season finale 53-51 over Hawaii, snapping a five-game losing streak.
The contest can be heard on ESPN 97.7 FM with the pregame show beginning at 10 p.m. It can also be seen streamed live over the internet at www.wacports.com.
