Feb. 3, 2012

GameDay Central

T-Spoon Letter

NCAA Pack The House

2011 Pack the House Footage

Audio (Techsters Win 2010 WAC Tourney)

Audio (Techsters Down Bulldogs in 3OT)

RUSTON -- It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when the Louisiana Tech versus Fresno State women's basketball series became a full-fledged rivalry.

But it is.

Born from a culmination of great plays, great crowds, great players, great coaches and great games ... the Lady Techsters and the Bulldogs have become the Western Athletic Conference's best women's basketball rivalry, bar none.

And this Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Thomas Assembly Center, Louisiana Tech fans will get their final chance to see what has become an overtime-plagued, emotion-filled series that annually decides the WAC regular season champion.

"That's just the way it is," said current Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who is 4-3 all-time against Fresno State in her career. "It's two teams competing, two teams well-prepared and it's going to be an all-out battle. What you see is what you are going to get."

The blueprint began a decade ago as the first shot was fired across this series' bow when Fresno State hired Stacey Johnson-Klein away from Leon Barmore and the Lady Techster program. Although the loss to Tech's staff was far from debilitating, the emotional connection between the two women's basketball programs was born.

Johnson-Klein - with current Fresno State head coach Adrian Wiggins at her side - quickly turned the culture around as the Bulldogs won 21 games in that first year. And the first meeting between the two programs that year, a 63-53 Tech win at old North Gym, was filled with emotion.

"We want to win every game," said Tech former guard Amber Obaze following the Lady Techsters win. "However, playing against Coach Johnson inspired us even more, and it made the game more emotional."

Fresno State advanced all the way to the 2003 WAC Tournament championship game that season where they were overmatched as Cheryl Ford pulled down a WAC Tournament record 25 rebounds in the Techsters 89-57 victory.

With Johnson-Klein on the Fresno State sideline the emotion and tension each time the two teams met over the next few years hung in the gym like Louisiana Tech's eight Final Four banners.

During her final year in Fresno, Johnson-Klein unintentionally added some fuel to the fire when she was quoted prior to the start of the season saying that Bulldog junior college transfer Mirenda Swearingen was "the best point guard in the WAC."

Instead of responding publically, Tech's Tasha Crain - who was voted the WAC Player of the Year that season - let her playing do the talking when the two teams met, scoring 28 points on the Bulldogs home floor while holding Swearingen to only three points in the 80-70 victory.

"Tasha Crain is one of the top three point guards in this country," said former Tech head coach Kurt Budke following the game. "And to be honest, I can't think of two who are better than her. What sets her apart are games like this where not only does she score, but she rebounds, takes care of the ball and defends."

Later that season Johnson-Klein was dismissed by the University and Wiggins was named the Bulldogs interim head coach. He promptly led Fresno State into the WAC Tournament where they built a 15-point second half lead over the Lady Techsters in one of the most exciting semifinal games the league has ever seen.

Tech responded late, saving its NCAA Tournament life by defeating the Bulldogs 92-87 in double overtime. Despite the tough loss, the performance was a sign of things to come for the series and the Bulldogs.

"That was one of the greatest college basketball games I've ever been a part of in my 20 years," said Budke. "Somehow we found the energy, the effort and the fight to come back and win."

Both camps were proud.

"I'm so proud to be a part of this program right now," said Wiggins. "I'm proud of our players, our assistant coaches and our fans. We didn't come away with the win, but we played our hearts out."

That became par for the course in the series as the years progressed.

The following season the Wiggins-led Bulldogs finally broke through with a 67-58 win over the Lady Techsters in the Save Mart Center on Jan. 14, 2006.

"This game is disappointing," said former Tech head coach Chris Long following the game. "It's disappointing because despite all the off-the-court issues, I felt like we did enough good things to give ourselves a chance to win.

"I give Fresno State a lot of credit. They came out with a lot of energy, and they made plays when it counted. We knew they were a good basketball team, and they showed it today."

Tech won the next two meetings in the series, including a lopsided 78-40 win in Ruston in the first meeting in 2006-07, before the Bulldogs became the first conference team to ever win four straight against the Lady Techsters.

The streak started with a 72-57 win in Fresno in 2006-07 and concluded with the most lopsided conference win over Louisiana Tech in the program's storied history - a 78-53 Fresno State victory on the Lady Techsters home floor in 2008-09. Along the way, the Bulldogs captured the program's first WAC regular season title (2007-08) and first WAC Tournament title (2008).

Weatherspoon and the Lady Techsters finally snapped the skid in her first meeting against Fresno State after being named the Tech interim head coach at the end of the 2008-09 season. Trailing the Bulldogs by a game in the regular season conference race, Tech downed Fresno State 80-62 at the Save Mart Center in early March to capture a share of the WAC title.

"I'm so proud of these young ladies," said Weatherspoon. "They have overcome so much adversity. They came out here with a purpose tonight. I told them that it was so important to get off to a good start tonight and that's exactly what we did. We played well on both ends of the floor and I couldn't be prouder of our effort."

Since that 18-point Tech victory, the two teams have split the last six meetings with five of those decided by two points or in overtime.

Last year's meetings might go down as the best three-game series between two women's basketball teams in a single season in the history of the game. They included a 94-92 last second triple overtime win by Tech, a 90-84 overtime win by Tech and a 78-76 last second win by the Bulldogs in the WAC Tournament championship game.

Those three games and the emotions that surrounded them epitomize what this series has become over the course of the last 10 years.

"When you have two teams prepared and ready to go, it's an all-out battle for 40 minutes," Weatherspoon said. "Every aspect of the game you will see. You will see players tired because of the all-out effort they are giving. It's an all-out battle."

This Saturday night another chapter will be written in this Pulitzer Prize-caliber series.

LA Tech 63, Fresno State 53

Jan. 18, 2003 at North Gym in Fresno, California

FRESNO, Calif. - Amber Obaze tied her career-high with 22 points to lead 11th ranked Louisiana Tech to an emotional 63-53 win over Fresno State (9-7, 3-3) Saturday afternoon before 1,683 fans at North Gym.

Obaze hit 10 of 25 field goals while pulling down a season-high eight rebounds, recording three assists and registering two steals in 40 minutes of action as Tech (12-2, 5-0) won its 10th straight game.

"I am so proud of this team because they overcame a lot of adversity today," said Tech head coach Kurt Budke. "I have to give Stacy (Johnson-Klein) and Fresno State a lot of credit because they played extremely hard. It was a tough environment to win in and we found a way to get it done."

Emotions ran high as the game pitted Tech against a Fresno State team that is coached by former Lady Techster assistant Stacy Johnson-Klein. However, Tech found a way to overcome an inspired Bulldog upset bid to hang on for the 10-point victory.

"We want to win every game," Obaze said. "However, playing against Coach Johnson inspired us even more and it made the game more emotional. I think that was a positive thing. We started out well, and we came ready to play. I don't know what happened during the run."

Tech jumped out to a 21-4 lead at the 11:30 mark of the first half as the Lady Techsters pounded the basketball inside against the Bulldogs man-to-man defense. However, Fresno State began sagging inside with its perimeter players and forced Tech to beat them outside.

Johnson-Klein's squad proceeded to outscore Tech 25-12 to end the first half only trailing by four and then built as much as a 39-35 lead early in the second half on a Tiffany Simon jump shot at the 15:45 mark.

"We went through a period defensively where we just kept getting beat off the dribble," Budke said. "Fresno State is a team that likes to take the ball to the basket and for some reason, during the run we didn't do a good job of defending them."

With the Bulldogs leading 43-42 with 12:20 remaining, Tech went on a 12-1 run to build a 54-44 advantage with just over eight minutes left in the game. During the run, senior center Cheryl Ford scored five of her 11 points. The Summerfield, La., native also pulled down 18 rebounds to record her sixth straight double double and ninth of the year.

"I thought Cheryl and Trina (Frierson) both did a good job of battling the entire game," Budke said. "Fresno State was dead set on taking them out of it and they could have gotten frustrated, but instead they kept playing hard and were a big reason we won."

Sophomore guard Erica Smith added 13 points for Tech while Omelogo Udeze led Fresno State with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Both teams struggled offensively as the Lady Techsters hit 33 percent (23-69) of their shots while the Bulldogs hit only 32 percent (17-52) of their field goals. Tech outrebounded Fresno State 50-36.

LA Tech 80, Fresno State 70

Jan. 8, 2005 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein thought she had the best point guard in the Western Athletic Conference.

Louisiana Tech head coach Kurt Budke knew he did.

On Saturday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, Lady Techster junior Tasha Crain proved Budke right, outdueling Fresno State's Mirenda Swearingen by scoring 28 points to lead Tech (8-4, 4-0 WAC) to an 80-70 win over Fresno State (10-3, 2-2) before 4,643 fans.

"Tasha Crain is one of the top three point guards in this country," Budke said following the game. "And to be honest, I can't think of two who are better than her. What sets her apart are games like this where not only does she score, but she rebounds, takes care of the ball and defends."

In addition to the Kingsland, Ark., native registering her second highest point total of her career, she added seven rebounds and six assists while committing only one turnover in 34 minutes of action. Crain also held Swearingen, who Johnson-Klein labeled "the best point guard in the WAC" to only three points, six rebounds and three assists.

Asked by Fresno reporters if she was motivated by Johnson-Klein's comments, Crain took the high road.

"I really don't think about that," Crain said. "(Coach Johnson-Klein) should think that about her player. It's not that big of a deal to me. I just wanted to win."

And Crain wasn't the only Techster who wanted to win. Senior guard Lakiste Barkus, who is a Long Beach, Calif., native, also played big for Budke and Co., scoring a career-high 27 points on 11 of 19 shooting while adding four steals.

"I thought this was by far Lakiste's best offensive game since the season opener against Ole Miss," Budke said. "She played within herself, something she has gotten better and better at doing recently. Lakiste can be an explosive player when she makes good decisions with the basketball and she definitely did that today."

Crain scored the first nine points of the game for Tech although Fresno State hung tough in the early going. After red-shirt freshman Nastassja Levingston came off the bench to spark Tech with two steals and five quick points midway through the opening 20 minutes, Barkus closed the half strong, scoring nine of her 12 first half points in the final five minutes as the Lady Techster built a 43-30 halftime edge.

Any chance of a Fresno State second half comeback was doused early as Tech opened the stanza with a 20-8 run to build a 63-48 lead. Barkus and Crain combined to score 31 of the Lady Techsters 37 second half points.

With Tech leading 68-43 at the midway mark of the second half, Fresno State closed the game on a 27-12 run.

For the contest, Tech hit 47 percent (31-66) of its field goals and registered a season-high 18 steals.

Amy Parrish and Chantella Perrera led Fresno State with 12 points each.

LA Tech 92, Fresno State 87 (2OT)

March 11, 2005 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada

RENO, Nevada - Louisiana Tech saved in seven minutes what its women's basketball program has taken 31 years to build.

The Lady Techsters (20-8) overcame a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime and eventually down Fresno State 92-87 in double overtime in semifinal action of the 2005 Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

With the win Tech advanced into Saturday's 2 p.m. CST championship game against the winner of Rice and San Jose State and all but assured itself of its 24th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

"That was one of the greatest college basketball games I've ever been a part of in my 20 years," said Tech head coach Kurt Budke. "Somehow we found the energy, the effort and the fight to come back and win."

The top-seeded Lady Techsters trailed Fresno State 67-52 with 7:36 to play when Bulldog forward Amy Parrish scored inside. The official's timeout followed and Budke had one message for his team.

"I told them that if they wanted their season to continue they better find the energy to kick it into another gear," Budke said. "They did."

Tech came out of the official timeout in a full-court press that led to a 21-6 run over the final seven minutes of regulation. When senior guard Erica Taylor, who led all scorers with 25 points, hit one of two free throws with 0:54 remaining, Tech found itself tied at 73-73.

Taylor, who missed the first 15 games of the season while giving birth to daughter Nia Jay, scored 16 of her points in the final four minutes of regulation and the two overtimes.

"I just try to play as hard as I can and feed off my teammates," Taylor said. "We feed off each other. I'm not in the best shape like I was last year but I'm giving it my all."

Tech appeared to be on the way to victory in the first overtime before Fresno State guard Veronica Mack banked home a three-pointer with 11.0 seconds remaining to send the contest into double overtime.

Fresno State led 87-85 with under two minutes remaining before junior guard Aarica Ray-Boyd hit a 17-footer to tie the game up with 1:29 to play. Ray-Boyd scored 11 of her career-high 16 points in the first half to keep the Techster close, trailing 40-36 entering the locker room.

Tech hit 24-of-28 free throws in the second half and in the overtimes, including 5-of-6 free throws in the final 0:36 seconds, to seal the win.

"I'm so proud to be a part of this program right now," said Fresno State interim head coach Adrian Wiggins. "I'm proud of our players, our assistant coaches and our fans. We didn't come away with the win, but we played our hearts out."

WAC Player of the Year Tasha Crain hit only 6-of-21 field goals but was 8-for-8 from the free throw line to score 20 points.

Mirenda Swearingen led Fresno State (20-10) with 23 points while Arrita Lane added 22 and Amy Parrish 14.

Fresno State 67, LA Tech 58

Jan. 14, 2006 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State guards Mirenda Swearingen and Tierre Wilson were both academically ineligible for the first eight games of the season.

However, on Saturday, the dynamic duo - who played in only their seventh game of the season - put on a clinic leading the Bulldogs to a 67-58 win over the Lady Techsters (11-4, 3-1) before 3,115 fans at the Save Mart Center.

Swearingen and Wilson each scored 17 points, including all seven in a crucial 7-0 run that brought Fresno State back from a 48-40 deficit with just over eight minutes to play, as Fresno State (11-4, 3-0) registered its first ever win over Tech.

"This game is disappointing," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "It's disappointing because despite all the off-the-court issues, I felt like we did enough good things to give ourselves a chance to win."

Tech, which didn't arrive in Fresno until 3 a.m. game-day due to travel issues out of Honolulu, held Fresno State's leading scorer Amy Parish to nine points and three rebounds while also outrebounding the Western Athletic Conference's top rebounding team 47-42.

However, it was ultimately turnovers down the stretch that kept Louisiana Tech from remaining undefeated in conference play.

"I give Fresno State a lot of credit," Long said. "They came out with a lot of energy and they made plays when it counted. We knew they were a good basketball team and they showed it today."

After trailing 34-30 at the half, Tech built a 48-40 lead with under 10 minutes remaining in the game before Swearingen and Wilson took over. Swearingen's conventional three-point play made it 48-43 before Swearingen forced a turnover and fed Wilson just seconds later for a layup and a 48-45 score.

On Tech's next possession Swearingen stole the ball at midcourt and took it the distance for another layup and all of a sudden, Fresno State and the Save Mart Center crowd came to life.

"No doubt that was the turning point of the game," Long said. "Turnovers cost us down the stretch."

Tech remained within striking distance down the stretch trailing by as few as five with under two minutes remaining before Fresno State hit free throws to seal the win.

Tasha Williams and Shan Moore led Tech with 12 points each while Eboni Mangum added nine points and a career-high eight rebounds.

Fresno State 72, LA Tech 57

Feb. 22, 2007 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State overcame a 10-point first half deficit to defeat Louisiana Tech 72-57 Thursday night at the Save Mart Center, keeping the Lady Techsters from taking over first place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

A win by Tech would have vaulted the Techsters past Boise State in the league standings as the Broncos were upset 68-60 at San Jose State.

However, Tech head coach Chris Long said his team didn't deserve to win.

"I'm disappointed," Long said. "Fresno State deserved to win this game. They outworked us, they out-executed us and they outhustled us tonight. We didn't deserve to win."

Early on, Tech (15-12, 10-4 WAC) looked like it was ready to win for the seventh straight time on the road in WAC play as the Lady Techsters built a 23-13 lead on an April Williams jumper at the 5:07 mark. Tech led by 10 despite leading scorer Shan Moore and starting point guard Eboni Mangum sitting the majority of the first half with foul trouble.

However, Fresno State (15-11, 8-5) - which hit only 5 of its first 20 shots - got hot and used a 14-0 run in less than a three minute span to take a 27-23 lead. Tech retook the advantage at 28-27 before Fresno State's Brittani Green scored right before the half to give the Bulldogs a 29-28 halftime advantage.

The final 20 minutes of play was not good to Tech as the Lady Techsters shot only 31 percent (12-39) from the field while Fresno State hit 50 percent (16-32) of their field goals while also hitting 9-of-11 free throws.

The Bulldogs never trailed over the final 20 minutes of play while maintaining at least a seven point lead over the final 14 minutes of the contest.

Moore led Tech with 16 points while Mangum added 13 points and Ty Moore registered her 13th double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Amber Metoyer added seven points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Chantella Perera led Fresno State with 21 points, while Tierre Wilson added 12 points and Paige Diggs 10 points.

Tech lost despite outrebounding Fresno State 44-40, including pulling down 26 offensive boards.

LA Tech 80, Fresno State 62

March 2, 2009 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO -- Shanavia Dowdell scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and frontcourt teammate Adrienne Johnson added 20 points to lead Louisiana Tech to an 80-62 win over Fresno State Monday night at the Save Mart Center.

With the win, LA Tech (18-11, 11-4) won its sixth straight game and moved into first place in the Western Athletic Conference standings. LA Tech can clinch at least a share of the regular season title with a win in its final game Saturday night at New Mexico State.

Fresno State (19-11, 10-4) fell one-half game behind the Lady Techsters as the Bulldogs end the season with a home game against New Mexico State Wednesday and a road game at Utah State Saturday.

"I'm so proud of these young ladies," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "They have overcome so much adversity. They came out here with a purpose tonight. "I told them that it was so important to get off to a good start tonight and that's exactly what we did. We played well on both ends of the floor and I couldn't be prouder of our effort."

After an early lead by Tech, Fresno State forward Bailey Admundsen hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Bulldogs a 9-6 lead at the 13:05 mark of the opening half.

However, Tech responded with a 14-0 run over the next five minutes and grabbed a 20-9 lead on a Dowdell layup at the 8:00 mark. A Marnique Arnold three-pointer with 7:47 ended the Tech run as Fresno State cut the advantage back down to 20-16 with seven minutes to play.

Tech sophomore guard Sidney Stewart scored nine of her career-high tying 12 points in the first half including five straight as the Lady Techsters pushed the lead back out to 25-16. Tech entered the halftime locker room leading 33-27.

The Lady Techsters shot 46 percent (14-31) from the field in the first half while limiting Fresno State to only 35 percent (23-57), although the Bulldogs did hit six first half three-pointers.

Tech started the second half strong, scoring the first six points and pushing the lead out to 39-27 on a baseline jumper by Tiawana Pringle at the 18:39 mark. The advantage ballooned to 45-30 on a pair of free throws by Johnson at the 16:29 mark after Fresno State head coach Adrian Wiggins was hit with a technical foul.

The Bulldogs would not go away quietly though as Fresno State used a 11-2 run over the next two minutes to cut the lead down to 47-41 on a three-point play by Jaleesa Ross. On the play, Pringle picked up her fourth personal foul and was forced to sit.

With the Tech starting point guard saddled with four fouls, Fresno State picked up the full court press but the Lady Techsters would not fold as Tech scored time after time in transition and eventually pushed the lead back out to 15 at 69-54 on a three-point play by Tarkeisha Wysinger at the 4:28 mark.

When Pringle returned to the game at the 3:16 mark, Tech had built a 71-57 advantage.

"Our kids responded tonight," Weatherspoon said. "When Pringle got into foul trouble, we never slowed down. I think that shows the kind of confidence these kids are playing with right now."

Dowdell scored 18 of her game-high 24 points in the second half as the 6-foot-2-inch forward was too much inside for the undersized Bulldogs. The reigning WAC Player of the Week hit 10-of-18 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws while adding three blocks in 40 minutes of action.

"What can you say about Shanavia and Adrienne," Weatherspoon said. "They've done this for us every night. They each played the entire game and never let up. Our guards did a great job of getting it inside to them and they finished."

Pringle added 10 points and five assists for Tech which snapped a five-game losing streak against Fresno State.

LeShay Fears led Fresno State with 14 points while Amundsen scored 11 and Ross and Arnold each added 10 points.

Tech outrebounded Fresno State 43-35. The Lady Techsters committed only 11 turnovers while forcing 21 by the Bulldogs.

The Lady Techsters will wrap up the regular season Saturday at 8 p.m. in Las Cruces against the Aggies.

"We haven't done anything yet," Weatherspoon said. "We are going to enjoy this one until we get back to the hotel. Then we will start focusing on New Mexico State."

Fresno State 81, LA Tech 78 (OT)

Feb. 24, 2010 at Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La.

RUSTON - Louisiana Tech junior Tarkeisha Wysinger scored a career-high 25 points but it wasn't enough as Fresno State defeated the Lady Techsters 81-78 in overtime before 1,893 fans Wednesday night at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Tech led 68-66 on a pair of Adrienne Johnson free throws with 22 seconds to play before Fresno State guard Jaleesa Ross drove down the right side of the lane and collided with Johnson with only 4 seconds to play. Johnson was whistled for a blocking foul, her fifth of the game, and Ross calmly sank two free throws to send the contest into overtime.

Early on in the extra period sophomore guard Jasmine Bendolph gave the Lady Techsters a 75-69 lead scoring seven straight points but once again Fresno State wouldn't go away quietly. After a missed three-pointer on Tech's next possession, Bulldog guard Emma Andrews drove down the lane and scored while being fouled.

She converted the conventional three-point play with 2:28 to play, igniting a game-closing 12-3 run that sent the Bulldogs to 14-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.

"I hurt more for my kids right now than anything," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "They played their hearts out there tonight. It's tough to lose a game like this."

Tech led 77-76 with under a minute to play in the extra period when Wysinger appeared to steal the ball at the top of the key from Andrews. However, as she turned to start the fast break up the court, a whistle was blown sending Andrews to the free throw line where she hit two more shots as Fresno State took a 78-77 advantage.

The Bulldogs (23-5, 14-0) made only 1-of-5 field goals in overtime but hit 11-of-14 free throws including 11 straight at one point while the Lady Techsters hit only 4-of-8 from the charity stripe in the extra session.

"You saw some fatigue affect us in overtime," Weatherspoon said. "There were a couple of times we didn't get back defensively like we should have and it cost us."

LA Tech (18-7, 9-4 WAC) led 35-30 at the half despite shooting only 12-of-32 from the field in the first half thanks in large part to the effort of Wysinger off the bench. Wysinger, who surpassed her previous career-high of 24 points set as a freshman against Sam Houston State, hit 7-of-11 field goals, including a pair of three-pointers, while hitting 9-of-15 free throws.

She scored 12 of her points in the opening 20 minutes to lead all scorers.

"I told Daron (Park) today that I thought TK would have a good game tonight," Weatherspoon said. "I felt it. She has been putting in some extra work and it paid off tonight. She is a good shooter and tonight she stepped up and shot with confidence."

In a game that saw 10 ties and 14 lead changes, Fresno State found itself leading by two late in regulation before Whitney Jones driving layup with 49 seconds to play tied the game at 66-66. After a missed layup by Fresno State forward Joh-Teena Filipe, Johnson pulled down the rebound and was fouled sending her to the free throw line to give Tech the lead with only 22 seconds to play.

In addition to Wysinger's big night, Shanavia Dowdell recorded her 18th double double of the year with 17 points and a career-high tying 20 rebounds while Bendolph added 15 points.

LaShay Fears led Fresno State with 22 points while Andrews added 16 and Munro and Filipe each scored 11.

LA Tech 68, Fresno State 66

March 13, 2010 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada

RENO - Sophomore guard Jasmine Bendolph drained an 18-foot jumper with 34 seconds to play to give Louisiana Tech the lead and the Lady Techsters got the defensive stops they needed down the stretch to defeat Fresno State 68-66 in the championship game of the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday afternoon at Lawlor Events Center.

With Tech trailing 66-65 and the shot clock running down, Bendolph calmly sank the jumper from the top of the key as the Lady Techsters snapped Fresno State's 19-game winning streak and earned the automatic berth into the 2010 NCAA Tournament - Tech's first since 2006.

"Our kids played their hearts out today," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "We played a tough Nevada team (Friday) and a tough Fresno State team who is very aggressive, but our team doesn't give up. They're resilient and they fought hard. Today we wanted it more."

The victory didn't come easy as the final 30 seconds of regulation was filled with opportunities for both teams. After Tech took the one-point lead on Bendolph's jumper, Fresno State forward Joh-Teena Filipe missed a three-pointer with 14 seconds to play and Whitney Jones pulled won the defensive rebound and was fouled.

Jones then missed the front end of a one-and-one and Fresno State pulled the defensive rebound down but Tech guard Tarkeisha Wysinger picked the pocket of Bulldog guard Jaleesa Ross, knocking the loose basketball to Shanavia Dowdell.

Dowdell, who was named the WAC Tournament MVP scoring 20 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in the win, stepped to the free throw line with 6.3 seconds to play and calmly sank the first free throw to push the advantage to 68-66.

However, Dowdell missed the second free throw and Fresno State had one last opportunity. Bulldog guard LeShay Fears took an outlet pass around midcourt and drove down the right side of the lane but misfired on a last second shot sending the Tech bench into a wild celebration on the floor.

"Congratulations to Louisiana Tech," said Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins. "It was a good tournament win for them. It was a hard-fought game. We just came up short in some areas."

For the second straight day, Tech (23-8) played a complete basketball game.

From the opening tip, the Lady Techsters executed on both ends of the floor as Tech shot 47 percent (28-60) from the field while holding Fresno State (27-6) to only 34 percent (24-71) shooting. Tech also kept the three-point shooting of Fresno State in check as the Bulldogs hit only 8-of-28 for 29 percent.

Behind Dowdell's rebounding dominance, Tech won the war of the boards 49-35 in a very physical but well-played basketball game.

"I was getting beat up down there," Dowdell said. "I had a bloody nose, but I just had to play hard and not give up. I was tired at the end, but as Coach (Weatherspoon) said, this is our season. We all wanted to go to the Big Dance so we just pushed through it."

In a game that saw six ties and seven lead changes, Tech built a 10-point first half lead at 33-23 as Dowdell knocked down a three-pointer at the 4:00 minute mark of the opening half. But the Bulldogs would answer, using a 14-3 run to close the half as Fresno State held a 37-36 lead heading into the halftime locker room.

Tech came out of the half on fire though, as junior guard Whitney Jones hit back-to-back three-pointers in the first two minutes of the second half to spark a 10-0 Lady Techster run that gave them a 46-37 advantage.

The two teams continued to exchange punches like a heavyweight fight as Fresno State fought back to take the lead at 59-58 on a three-point play by Hayley Munro with 8:40 to play.

After Ross gave the Bulldogs a 61-58 lead on a basket on their next possession, Tech guard Brietta Thomas drained a three-pointer with 7:40 left to tie the game at 61-61. Neither team would lead by more than two points the rest of the game.

"It was a great game," Wiggins said. "They're physical and teams are physical in the NCAA Tournament. It was a reminder of how physical the game can be. We got outrebounded by 14 and that's not acceptable."

In addition to Dowdell's big night, Jones added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while Adrienne Johnson scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Wysinger also added 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Thomas finished with nine points.

With the victory, Tech clinched its 16th conference tournament title in program history - its fifth WAC Tournament title in nine years - and will play in its 26th NCAA Tournament.

Tech 94, Fresno State 92 (3OT)

Jan. 13, 2011 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

FRESNO - Brietta Thomas hit a three-pointer with 2.6 seconds to play in the third overtime to lift Louisiana Tech (11-5, 3-0 WAC) to a 94-92 win over Fresno State (11-6, 2-1 WAC) before 3,275 fans at the Save Mart Center Thursday night.

It was the first triple overtime game in Louisiana Tech history and the second straight overtime game for the Lady Techsters, who defeated Hawaii 74-69 last Saturday night.

With Tech trailing 92-91 in the third overtime period, the Lady Techsters called with 18 seconds to play to draw up a play. Following the timeout, Jasmine Bendolph missed on a jumper but Shantale Bramble-Donaldson pulled down the offensive rebound.

After Bramble-Donaldson was stripped of the ball, Kiara Young batted the loose basketball out to Thomas who rose up and drilled the 20-footer from the left wing with 2.6 seconds to play. Fresno State, out of timeouts, inbounded the ball but Taylor Thompson's desperation halfcourt shot was wide left as LA Tech snapped the Bulldogs 20-game regular season Western Athletic Conference winning streak.

"I'm so proud of this team," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who saw her team play all three of the overtime periods without All-American candidate Adrienne Johnson who fouled out of the game with 14 seconds to play in regulation.

"We could have easily folded our tents at the end of regulation but every one of our kids showed a lot of heart. This is a big win for us. This is not an easy place to win. Fresno State is a very talented team and is very well coached. I hope we grew up some tonight."

Despite trailing by as many as 13 points on three separate occasions in the second half, Louisiana Tech was on the verge of winning in regulation. Bendolph sank two free throws with 38 seconds remaining to give LA Tech a 74-71 advantage.

However, the Lady Techsters kept giving the Bulldogs extra opportunities. On three separate occasions in the final 25 seconds of regulation, Fresno State missed on a shot and LA Tech pulled down the defensive rebound. However, on each occasion LA Tech had the ball taken away - the final time proving costly.

After a turnover by Tech guard Whitney Jones with 14 seconds to play, Fresno State's Jaleesa Ross misfired on a long three pointer with six seconds to play and the loose basketball was batted out to Thompson who drained a 25-footer with less than a second to play to send the game into overtime.

"We didn't do a very good job down the stretch (of regulation) of taking care of the basketball; of being strong with the basketball," Weatherspoon said. "I hope that we learn from this game how important it is to do all the little things.

"There aren't too many times that you look at a stat sheet where you turn the ball over 35 times and shoot as poorly as we did from the free throw line and still win. We have to improve in all of those areas. However, I'm still so proud of these kids."

In the first overtime, Tech never led but Bendolph hit a jumper with 1:12 to play to tie the game at 80-80. Both teams had opportunities to take the lead in the final 72 seconds but neither was able to as Hayley Munro's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer was nowhere close.

The second overtime saw both teams take two-point advantages. With Fresno State leading 85-84, Bendolph hit a three-pointer with 1:58 to play to give the Lady Techsters an 87-85 advantage. However, Tech turned the ball over three times and Munro's layup with 22 seconds to play tied the game at 87-87.

Tech had a chance to win it but Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey, who played a program single-game record 51 minutes, lost the basketball out of bounds under the Lady Techster basket with seconds to play, sending the game into a third overtime period.

In the final overtime, Tech took a 91-88 advantage on a Bendolph layup with 2:03 to play. However, Fresno State fought back to take a 92-91 lead on Marnique Arnold's layup with 45 seconds remaining.

After Young missed a driving layup with 28 seconds to play, Murno went to the free throw line with a chance to build on the Bulldogs advantage. However, she missed both and Tech pulled down the defensive rebound, setting up the dramatic finish and Thomas' game-winning three.

"I am not surprised at all the Bri hit the shot," Weatherspoon said. "I knew the minute it left her hand that it was good. She shot it with confidence. She didn't hesitate. She can really help us and we need her to continue to work hard and play with confidence."

Johnson led Tech with 23 points and nine rebounds while Young added a career-high 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Wysinger-Mackey, who left the game in the final 55 seconds of the third overtime due to severe cramps, finished with 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and six steals.

Jones and Bendolph each scored 13 points as five Techsters scored in double figures. Tech shot 44 percent (38-87) from the field, 6-of-16 from the three-point line and 12-of-23 from the free throw line. Fresno State shot 40 percent (30-76) for the game and hit 11-of-30 three-pointers and 21-of-35 free throws.

The Lady Techsters outrebounded Fresno State 62-49, including 25 offensive rebounds.

Tech 90, Fresno 84 (OT)

Feb. 5, 2011 at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La.

RUSTON - Most of the time movie sequels don't match up to their predecessor.

However, Saturday night in Ruston, Louisiana Tech vs. Fresno State "Episode II" lived up to its billing as the Lady Techsters defeated the Bulldogs 90-84 in overtime before 7,123 fans at the Thomas Assembly Center.

The game had been billed as the rematch between the Western Athletic Conference's top two teams who played a triple overtime thriller in Fresno on Jan. 13 that LA Tech won 94-92.

Although it only took one overtime on this night, it still had plenty of emotion and drama as the LA Tech took a two-game lead in the WAC standings with the victory - its ninth straight.

"We knew that Fresno State was going to come in here hungry," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "We knew they would be plenty motivated. We didn't come out with the energy that we needed early on but we fed off this great crowd as the game progressed and we made plays when we needed to make them.

"I want to thank everyone who came out tonight for this game. Our fans were incredible. The atmosphere was electric. Our kids really fed off of our fans and they were truly our sixth man. I hope they liked what they saw and will come back Monday night and the rest of the year."

The 7,123 fans - the 16th largest crowd in Techster history and the largest since 7,321 fans watched Tech defeat UConn on Jan. 7, 2001 - were treated to another classic between these two programs.

For the third time in the last four meetings between Louisiana Tech and Fresno State, the game went to overtime and for the second straight time the Lady Techsters came out on top.

It took a free throw by All-American candidate Adrienne Johnson with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation to send it to overtime. Johnson then scored six of her game-high 26 points in overtime to help LA Tech outscore the Bulldogs 14-8 in the extra period.

However, the win wasn't sealed until Brietta Thomas hit a free throw with nine seconds remaining to push the advantage out to three scores.

The victory extended Tech's winning streak to nine games - the longest since the 2005-06 team won 15 straight - and improved the Lady Techsters record to 8-0 in league play, now two full games in front of Fresno State with eight conference games remaining.

Despite battling travel issues to get to Ruston - Fresno State didn't arrive to Monroe until 4 p.m. - the Bulldogs came out of the gates strong, building a 19-5 lead on a three-pointer by Rosie Moult with 13:50 to play in the opening half.

However, the Lady Techsters started mounting their comeback and when Whitney Jones hit all three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt with 3:40 to play in the half, Tech led 33-30.

Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey scored 14 first half points as the Lady Techsters took a 41-38 halftime lead into the locker room.

Tech came out in the second half and pushed the lead out to as many as seven while maintaining a slim advantage until Moult hit a pair of free throws with 59 seconds to play in regulation - giving Fresno State its first lead since late in the first period.

Thomas hit a driving layup for LA Tech on its next possession to pull Tech back ahead at 75-74 before Hayley Munro hit two free throws with 20 seconds left to once again give the Bulldogs a 76-75 advantage.

Trailing by one, Tech ran a play and found Johnson down low. However, Johnson was fouled by Munro sending her to the free throw line with only 3.5 seconds to play. After missing the first one, the senior calmly sank the second one to send the game into overtime.

"I was so mad at myself for missing the first free throw," Johnson said. "I knew I had to make the second one. I knew we just needed to get into overtime."

Johnson finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Wysinger-Mackey scored a season-high 21 points before fouling out in regulation. Jasmine Bendolph added a season-high 21 points while Whitney Jones scored 13.

Jaleesa Ross scored 30 points for Fresno State while Marnique Arnold and Moult each added 16 points.

Tech shot 45 percent (29-65) for the game while hitting 29-of-42 free throws while Fresno State shot only 35 percent (28-81) from field, including only 7-of-26 from three point line. The Bulldogs hit 21-of-2 9 free throws.

Fresno 78, LA Tech 76

March 12, 2011 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

LAS VEGAS - Fresno State freshman Bre Farley banked home a shot from the block with .2 seconds remaining to lift the Bulldogs to a 78-76 win over Louisiana Tech in the championship game of the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game.

With the victory, Fresno State (25-7) clinched the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament while LA Tech (24-7) will have to await Monday night's NCAA Selection Show to find out whether the selection committee will reward its body of work during the season.

"All I want to say is how proud I am of my young ladies," said Tech head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "They fought hard to get back into the game. They did what I asked them to do to perform well. We always talk about the little things, and we did all the little things except for one thing down the stretch and they scored.

"You have to give (Fresno State) credit. Our kids fought hard, and I'm proud of the things we did. We aren't done. We have done a great job all year. This cannot be the end for us after what these kids have done."

Farley's heroics - her only bucket of the game - came after Louisiana Tech mounted a furious rally in the final minute of the game.

With Fresno State leading 76-71 on a pair of Jaleesa Ross free throws with 28 seconds to play, Tech's Kiara Young cut the deficit to three on a put back off of a Whitney Jones miss with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Following a LA Tech timeout, Brietta Thomas tied up Ross on the inbounds play, giving the basketball back to the Lady Techsters on the alternating possession.

Tech inbounded the basketball to Thomas who barely misfired on a three-pointer before Young pulled down the offensive rebound and passed it back out to Whitney Jones who buried the game-tying three-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining in the game.

"They left me open," Jones said. "I felt comfortable. I looked around to see if I was open, and I just took the shot."

Fresno State then inbounded the basketball and brought it up to halfcourt before calling a timeout with 2.9 seconds. Following the timeout, the Bulldogs Rosie Moult inbounded the basketball to Farley down on the block that spun and hit the shot off the glass with .2 seconds to play sending Fresno State to the win.

The loss spoiled a valiant comeback by the Lady Techsters who watched Fresno State end the first half on a 12-0 run to take a 37-26 lead into the halftime locker room.

However, it didn't take long for LA Tech to fight back in the second as the Lady Techsters hit 9 of their first 11 shots after intermission and used a 21-4 run to take a 47-41 lead with 13:55 to play.

"It was our intensity level," Weatherspoon said. "One thing we spoke about at the half was our intensity level had to change. This is a totally different game - it is do or die in postseason. Most importantly we had to execute offensively.

"We had to get Adrienne Johnson more touches. When she touches the basketball, we are a must better team. She is either going to score or she is going to find her teammates. Everyone had to step up, and everyone stepped up in the second half and that is why we were so successful."

Fresno State answered with a 7-0 run to retake the lead and the two teams went back and forth in a game that saw 10 ties and 14 lead changes. With the game tied at 60-60 with just under eight minutes remaining, Fresno State used a 6-0 run to grab a six-point advantage.

The Bulldogs held onto the lead from that point forward until Jones' three tied the game at 76, setting the stage for Farley's heroics.

Johnson, who made the all-tournament team for the second straight year, led Tech with 22 points, followed by Jones' 18, Young's 14 and Bendolph's 11.

Ross led Fresno State with 23 points while Taja Edwards added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Moult chipped in with 10.