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Frazier Leads @LATechWBB to Come-Back Win

Box Score Feb. 12, 2015

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RUSTON - Whitney Frazier scored a game-high 20 points, including the go-ahead jumper with less than two minutes to play, and Louisiana Tech overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat Florida Atlantic 73-68 at FAU Arena Thursday night.

Tech (12-11, 7-5 C-USA) trailed 33-14 with just over eight minutes to play in the first half before recording the third largest come-from-behind victory in program history. It's the second major come-from-behind win of the season for head coach Tyler Summitt's team which also defeated UAB after trailing by 18 points back on Jan. 15 in Birmingham.

"Credit to FAU because they jumped on us," Summitt said. "They jumped on us right away. They got open shots, and they hit them. The executed very well. I am proud of our players for fighting back. That seems to be the story of this team. They get in a hole, they see they are down and they say okay, `Now we have to focus and pay attention.' It blows my mind, but again credit for FAU for jumping on us."

Florida Atlantic (11-11, 5-6 C-USA) rode the hot hand of guard Danneal Ford early in the game. Ford, who entered the game averaging just 1.1 points per contest, scored 10 points during a 19-2 run by the Owls that saw FAU take a 14-12 lead out to 33-14 with 8:11 to play in the game.

Tech slowly began to whittle the lead down. JaQuan Jackson's off-balance jumper in the lane in the closing seconds of the first half sent the Lady Techsters into the halftime locker-room trailing only 38-29.

"It's hard for a philosophy to take place in a short time," Summitt said. "We have to continue to preach, continue to teach and it will still be two to three years before it sinks in. My coaches have to keep reminding me we have only been with these players for nine months. It takes time."

Defensively, LA Tech struggled to slow down FAU. With 6-foot-4-inch sophomore Kevione Moten missing due to family related issues, LA Tech didn't have a post presence to guard the basket. Time after time during the first 35 minutes of the game, the Owls got easy looks around the rim and converted. FAU shot 54 percent (15-28) from the field in the first half and 48 percent (27-56) for the game.

"In our man and our zone, we were missing that (size) that Kev provides," Summitt said. "We had the rotation down, so we got right to the right spot but they shot over us and made the shots. Kev would have really helped. We missed her but are glad she will be with us Saturday night in Miami."

Much of the damage was done by Shaneese Bailey, who hit 9-of-17 field goals and scored a game-high 24 points, including 13 in the second half.

"We started face guarding Bailey," Summitt said. "She is a great player and she was going off on us. She is so athletic. We had her labeled as key player No.1 on our scouting report. She still goes off for 24. She is a great player, but we have to do a better job from the beginning of making them do something different."

With Bailey and teammate Morgan Robinson hitting big basket after big basket, LA Tech's second half come-back attempt wasn't easy. A Jackson three-pointer with 17:20 to play brought the Lady Techsters to within 43-37 before the Owls answered and pushed the lead back out to double figures.

However, Frazier wouldn't allow the Lady Techsters to go away quietly. The senior - who became the 19th player in program history to join the 1,500-point club during the night - gave Tech its first lead of the game on a layup with 3:21 to play in the game. Tech led by three before Bailey scored four straight for the Owls as FAU reclaimed a 68-67 advantage with 1:44 to play.

Frazier responded again, this time hitting a jumper in the middle of the lane with 1:30 to play, giving Tech the lead for good.

"It is a very hard thing to do; to be the scorer for your team and the defensive stopper, but Whitney Frazier did that tonight," Summitt said. "She really took over the game on both ends during the final three or four minutes. Tonight she was not having any part of the guard spot. We recognized that early, we put Whitney back at post and we kept her at post for the entire game. I think that helped her."

Following a stop by Tech, Kelia Shelton hit a baseline jumper with 40 seconds remaining to up the advantage to three. Shelton's two free throws with 17.6 seconds to play sealed the victory for the Lady Techsters.

Tech returns to action Saturday when it faces FIU at 5 p.m. CT in Miami.

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Players Mentioned

Kelia Shelton

#1 Kelia Shelton

Guard
5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
JaQuan Jackson

#00 JaQuan Jackson

Guard
5' 8"
Freshman
Kevione Moten

#32 Kevione Moten

Forward
6' 4"
Freshman
Whitney Frazier

#2 Whitney Frazier

Forward
6' 1"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Kelia Shelton

#1 Kelia Shelton

5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Guard
JaQuan Jackson

#00 JaQuan Jackson

5' 8"
Freshman
Guard
Kevione Moten

#32 Kevione Moten

6' 4"
Freshman
Forward
Whitney Frazier

#2 Whitney Frazier

6' 1"
Sophomore
Forward