Feb. 4, 2011
Open Letter from Teresa Weatherspoon/Promotions
GameDay Central
Johnson For All-American
LA Tech Media Guide
LA Tech Gamenotes
RUSTON - Although it has been three weeks since Brietta Thomas' last second three-pointer swished through the nets giving Louisiana Tech a triple overtime victory over Fresno State at the Save Mart Center, Lady Techster fans are still talking about the win.
Tech fans will get a chance to experience the rematch in person Saturday night when the top two teams in the Western Athletic Conference meet for the second time this year with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Lady Techsters (15-5, 7-0) currently sit atop the WAC standings with an unblemished conference mark while Fresno State (15-6, 6-1) is alone in second place, only one game behind.
And although the game is being promoted as arguably the biggest WAC game for the program since it joined the league in 2001, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said she views it as another opportunity to improve while competing against a very good team.
"We don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves," Weatherspoon said. "We understand how good Fresno State is. We understand that they have a greater sense of motivation after the (result of the) first game. We want to focus in on what we didn't do well in that first game and correct those things."
Senior forward and All-American candidate Adrienne Johnson agrees with her coach's assessment of the importance of the game.
"From this point on every game is a big game," said Johnson, who ranks No. 1 in the WAC and No. 9 in the nation in scoring at 22.1 points per game. "We know Fresno State, and we know they will come out and play hard. This week in practice we have worked hard and worked on taking care of the basketball and executing our plays."
In the first meeting in Fresno, the Lady Techster won despite committing a season-high 35 turnovers, including four in the final 80 seconds of regulation that gave Fresno State multiple opportunities to come back and tie the game.
The final turnover with 12 seconds remaining in regulation led to a last-second, game-tying three-pointer by Bulldog freshman Taylor Thompson that sent the contest into overtime.
"You have to give (Fresno State) credit," Weatherspoon said. "They put a lot of pressure on us the first time, and we turned the basketball over a lot. There were also times where we just didn't make good decisions. We did not value the basketball in that game. We are starting to understand the importance of valuing the possession."
Since the win in Fresno, Tech has reeled off four more WAC wins while averaging only 12.3 turnovers per contest, including a season-low of six in the victory over Nevada in its last home game. Weatherspoon credits the experience of the first Fresno State game as part of the maturation process.
"It is tough when you play a game like that against a team like them," Weatherspoon said. "To play in a hostile environment and come away with a win, that was a confidence booster. Fresno State is very talented and a very well-coached basketball team."
Since the loss to Louisiana Tech, Fresno State has bounced back to win four straight WAC games by an average margin of 25 points with the closest game being a 21-point road victory at Nevada in its last outing.
The Bulldogs boast three players averaging in double figures, including guard Jaleesa Ross (16.1 ppg, 68 three-pointers), guard/forward Hayley Munro (13.0 ppg, 20 three-pointers) and guard Rosie Moult (12.1 ppg, 61 three-pointers).
As a team, Fresno State ranks No. 1 in the country in three-pointers made per game at 9.9 and is the WAC's top offensive team averaging 75.4 points per game, edging out Louisiana Tech which is averaging 72.3 points.
LA Tech is expecting its biggest crowd of the year for the game which has numerous promotions surrounding it, including free carnival rides starting at 4:30 p.m., free tailgating and food starting at 5:30 p.m. inside the TAC and plenty of free giveaways.
Johnson said that a big crowd would do nothing but help her and her teammates cause.
"That would be great," Johnson said. "I think that was a big reason we played so well against Nevada was the crowd. We really do feed off the crowd. When the crowd is into the game and intense, we are more focused and intense."
The first 300 fans to the Tech Ticket Booth at 4 p.m. will get free tickets while all other tickets are ONLY $5 each. Doors to the TAC will open at 4:30 p.m.
The contest can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on ESPN 97.7 FM with the pregame show set for 6:30 p.m. Fans can also access both audio and video of the game by logging onto www.latechsports.com and subscribing to LA Tech All-Access.
