DALLAS, Texas – The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team came up just short in Dallas, Texas, against SMU 63-59 behind
Keiunna Walker's game-high 21 points.
LA Tech (3-1) got off to their hottest start of the season, hitting all four three-point attempts in the quarter while holding SMU to a 2-12 start from the floor and taking a 20-10 lead after 10 minutes of play.
In the second, SMU (3-2) used an 8-2 run to the first four minutes of the quarter (22-18), which was stopped by an Amaya Brannon bucket. Brannon finished with seven points, three rebounds, and three assists.
With Walker, Brannon, and
Anna Larr Roberson on the bench with two fouls apiece, SMU doubled the Tecshters 10-5 the rest of the period leading to a one-point halftime lead for LA Tech (29-28).
SMU picked right back up to start the second half with a 7-0 run as Roberson and Walker each picked up another foul, building a six-point lead, 35-29, just over a minute into the quarter.
Walker started to heat up, scoring nine of her season-high 22 in the quarter. The Mustangs and Techsters traded leads in the final minutes ending the third quarter in a 46-46 tie.
SMU used a 7-1 run to start the quarter to build the lead back to six (53-46) with 8:26 remaining. Tech's defense held SMU to no field goals in the final 4:17 of the game and cut a seven-point lead (60-53) to two with 1:23 remaining.
After back-to-back stops, Gabbie Green had a three-point attempt with six seconds remaining to take the lead but missed. SMU sunk two free throws after two Tech fouls to put the game away.
Tech out shot SMU in all three phases in the loss. Tech shot 47.9 percent from the floor, including 56 percent from three and 80 percent from the line compared to SMU's 42.9 percent, 40 percent, and 64 percent, respectively, but the Mustangs plus-nine advantage on the offensive boards created the extra possessions proving the difference in the game.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Brooke Stoehr…
"This one is a tough one to swallow. We knew it would be a battle against a tough SMU team on the road. I thought we got off to a great start and really shared and moved the ball for easy shots in the first quarter. We had a number of players in foul trouble and faced some adversity all night, but our group battled and had some good moments.
Bottom line, we have to rebound the ball better as a team. Offensive rebounds kept possessions alive for them after we had forced a contested shot. We have to find a way to finish those possessions with a defensive rebound. Those plays are the ones you have to make to win on the road. We got a couple of good looks at the end to tie it and take the lead. We will learn and grow from this experience and use it as we move forward this week in Vegas. I believe in this group and their desire to win. It's early and we'll continue to grow and be better as a team."
NOTABLES
• LA Tech is 18-2 against SMU in the all-time series and is 7-2 in Dallas.
•
Anna Larr Roberson became the 45th member to join the Lady Techsters 1,000-point club.
•
Keiunna Walker passed Whitney Jones and Ayana Walker for No. 23 on the all-time scoring list, with 1,463 points.
• Walker also hit her 400th career free throw, she is currently No. 6 all-time.
• Silvia Nativi now has six assists in three of four games this season.
• Walker took two charges; Amaya Brannon took one.
• Roberson played in her 90th career game, and Kate Thompson played in her 60th.
UP NEXT
Louisiana Tech will head to Las Vegas, Nev. for a three-day Thanksgiving tournament hosted by UNLA. The Techsters will face Stetson at 6 p.m. CT inside the Thomas and Mack Center. There will be no live stream for the tournament, but the game can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network app.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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