Saturday, January 5
Ruston, La.
2 p.m.
Louisiana Tech University
vs
Rice
1/4/2019 2:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lady Techsters shooting 72 percent from free throw line this season
RUSTON, La. – A little history will be made Saturday when Louisiana Tech hosts Rice at 2 p.m. in Conference USA action at the Thomas Assembly Center.
When Rice sophomore center Nancy Mulkey takes the floor for the opening tipoff, she will be the tallest women's player to ever run the court in Ruston.
Mulkey is a 6-foot-9-inch transfer from the University of Oklahoma who became eligible for the Owls five games ago. Since that time, she has averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 59 percent from the floor.
And she isn't the only Owl who can cause damage to opponents as Rice boasts the preseason C-USA Player of the Year in junior Erica Ogwumike (17.1 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 apg). The combination of the two as well as the rest of the Rice roster has led the Owls to a 10-3 start, including a 56-47 road win over Southern Miss in their C-USA opener.
LA Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr knows her team will be in for a challenge and must play with more energy and effort than they showed in their 11-point loss to North Texas Thursday.
"They have a game changer in the middle in the terms of Mulkey, their big kid that became eligible about five games ago," said Stoehr. "She is going to block shots and alter shots. They have one of the best scorers in the league in terms of Erica Ogwumike. We have had some battles with them the last couple of years. I know they will come in here feeling good after a road win (over Southern Miss).
"We have to be tougher (than we were Thursday). We have to be tougher all the way around from understanding scouting reports and executing scouting reports."
Rice is one of the top shooting teams in C-USA. The Owls are connecting on 45 percent of their field goals, 33 percent of their three-pointers and 76 percent of their free throws through the first 13 games of the season. They are also holding opponents to just 59.5 points per game.
Tech must find a way to execute on both ends of the floor at a higher level than it did in the 65-54 loss to North Texas, a game that saw the Techsters shoot only 34 percent from the field, commit 19 turnovers and get out-rebounded by 12 boards.
Kierra Anthony continues to pace the Lady Techsters, averaging 24.1 points per game. Anthony scored 19 points – 15 in the fourth quarter – in just 22 minutes against North Texas, battling foul trouble the entire night.
As a team Tech is shooting 72 percent from the free throw line, the best mark in program history in a single season. All five of the Lady Techster starters are shooting 70 percent or better, led by Anthony's 92 percent, which ranks No. 8 in the country.
Tech leads the all-time series 15-8, including four straight wins against the Owls.
The contest will be live on ESPN+ with Lyn Rollins and Ladarrin McLane providing the call of the contest. Fans can also hear the radio call on the LA Tech Sports Network on KNBB 97.7 FM and KJVC 92.7 FM with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m.
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When Rice sophomore center Nancy Mulkey takes the floor for the opening tipoff, she will be the tallest women's player to ever run the court in Ruston.
Mulkey is a 6-foot-9-inch transfer from the University of Oklahoma who became eligible for the Owls five games ago. Since that time, she has averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 59 percent from the floor.
And she isn't the only Owl who can cause damage to opponents as Rice boasts the preseason C-USA Player of the Year in junior Erica Ogwumike (17.1 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 apg). The combination of the two as well as the rest of the Rice roster has led the Owls to a 10-3 start, including a 56-47 road win over Southern Miss in their C-USA opener.
LA Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr knows her team will be in for a challenge and must play with more energy and effort than they showed in their 11-point loss to North Texas Thursday.
"They have a game changer in the middle in the terms of Mulkey, their big kid that became eligible about five games ago," said Stoehr. "She is going to block shots and alter shots. They have one of the best scorers in the league in terms of Erica Ogwumike. We have had some battles with them the last couple of years. I know they will come in here feeling good after a road win (over Southern Miss).
"We have to be tougher (than we were Thursday). We have to be tougher all the way around from understanding scouting reports and executing scouting reports."
Rice is one of the top shooting teams in C-USA. The Owls are connecting on 45 percent of their field goals, 33 percent of their three-pointers and 76 percent of their free throws through the first 13 games of the season. They are also holding opponents to just 59.5 points per game.
Tech must find a way to execute on both ends of the floor at a higher level than it did in the 65-54 loss to North Texas, a game that saw the Techsters shoot only 34 percent from the field, commit 19 turnovers and get out-rebounded by 12 boards.
Kierra Anthony continues to pace the Lady Techsters, averaging 24.1 points per game. Anthony scored 19 points – 15 in the fourth quarter – in just 22 minutes against North Texas, battling foul trouble the entire night.
As a team Tech is shooting 72 percent from the free throw line, the best mark in program history in a single season. All five of the Lady Techster starters are shooting 70 percent or better, led by Anthony's 92 percent, which ranks No. 8 in the country.
Tech leads the all-time series 15-8, including four straight wins against the Owls.
The contest will be live on ESPN+ with Lyn Rollins and Ladarrin McLane providing the call of the contest. Fans can also hear the radio call on the LA Tech Sports Network on KNBB 97.7 FM and KJVC 92.7 FM with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m.
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Players Mentioned
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