Dec. 10, 2011
GameDay Central
RUSTON - For the second consecutive home game, Louisiana Tech will host one of the top defensive teams in the country as the Lady Techsters face Mississippi State Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Tech (3-6) is coming off a 79-53 win over Houston Wednesday night in Texas in a game that saw the Lady Techsters shoot 48 percent from the field and receive scoring production from a pair of underclassmen. Freshman forward Whitney Frazier scored a career-high 16 points while sophomore Tavasha Anderson added a career-high 17 points in the win.
Teresa Weatherspoon and Co. will have a tough task before them against the SEC Bulldogs, who are 7-1 on the season and who haven't allowed but three opponents to score more than 49 points this year. Mississippi State, whose lone loss came to defending national champion Texas A&M, ranks 18th nationally in field goal defense percentage (.325) and ninth in blocked shots per game (6.5).
The Bulldogs boast four players that are 6-foot-4 or taller.
Senior guards Diamber Johnson (18.4 ppg) and Porsha Porter (12.5 ppg) are the two leading scorers for Mississippi State, although the Bulldogs are averaging only 64.4 points per game and shooting only 38.5 percent from the field and 26.0 percent from the three-point line.
The Bulldogs most impressive win is a 70-55 victory over Tulane, a team that defeated LA Tech 61-52 in Ruston earlier this year.
The Lady Techsters will continue to rely on a balanced offensive attack as six different players have led LA Tech in scoring in nine games this season. Shantale Bramble-Donaldson (11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Jasmine Bendolph (11.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) are the only two Techsters averaging double figures.
However, Kiara Young (9.1 ppg), Whitney Jones (9.1 ppg), Angie Felton (6.7 ppg), Frazier (6.3 ppg), Anderson (5.4 ppg) and Brittany Hardy (4.8 ppg) have all recorded at least one game in double figures this year.
Tech is 6-5 all-time against Mississippi State, including last year's 69-61 win in Starkville. The Lady Techsters are 74-50 all-time against SEC foes.
The contest can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on ESPN 97.7 FM and KTKC 92.9 FM (Springhill) with the pregame show beginning at 1:30 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.
