Preview: LA Tech vs. UTEP

RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team will open Conference USA play at home for the first time since 2018 on Sunday against UTEP at 2 p.m. inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court. LA Tech is 3-6 in Conference USA openers and 2-3 at home, but will open the conference season with UTEP for the first time.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 18 | 2 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: CUSA.tv
Radio: KNBB 97.7 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Tickets: Purchase

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (7-3, 0-0 C-USA)
Louisiana Tech moved to 7-3 for the fifth straight season with a home win over South Alabama last week, 73-50. It was the fifth time in the last six games Tech has scored 70 or more. Four Lady Techsters reached double figures, led by Robyn Lee, who dropped a season-high 16 points in the win.

Anna Larr Roberson picked up her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and tied a career-high with 15 rebounds. Roberson moved passed Teresa Weatherspoon for No. 39 on the all-time scoring list.

Silvia Nativi continues to be one of the best passers in the country, ranking No. 6 in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.83. Her 46 assists are the most through 10 games to start a season for a Lady Techster since Christassia Walter in 2014.

Tech is averaging 68.2 ppg on 45 percent shooting and are 77 percent from the line. Tech's field goal and free throw percentage rank No. 2 among C-USA programs. Defensively, Tech is holding opponents to 55.8 ppg on 39 percent shooting, including 29 percent from three. Tech's scoring defense ranks top-35 nationally, while their defensive field goal percentage is No. 31 in the NCAA.

LA Tech is 7-0 on the year when holding opponents to under 60 points and 6-0 when out rebounding the opposition. The Techsters are the number-two team in C-USA in defensive rebounds per game at 28.4 and hold a plus-5.5 margin on the glass this season.

ABOUT UTEP (7-2, 0-0 C-USA
UTEP got off to a hot 5-0 start to the 2022-23 season before splitting two of their last four games to wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule, including a 57-52 road win over New Mexico State in Las Cruces earlier in the week. That win moved UTEP to 2-1 on the road this season, with the other coming at Kansas City (68-59) and their lone road loss at the hands of Air Force (60-63) in Colorado Springs.

UTEP is led by sixth year head coach Kevin Baker whose squad finished the 21-22 season with a 14-15 (6-12 C-USA) record that ended with a one-point overtime loss to UTSA in the first round of the Conference USA tournament (57-58).

They are led on the court by four players in double figures including, Mahir Petree at 14.5 ppg. Petree is a former Mountain Valley Conference All-Freshman performer for Bradley on their 2021 NCAA tournament team.

Oklahoma State transfer N'Yah Boyd (12.3 ppg) and North Texas transfer Jazion Jackson (10.0 ppg) join Petree in double figures, as does the team's leading rebounder from a season ago, 6-2 sophomore Elina Arike.

UTEP enters conference play ranked No. 6 in scoring at 66.9 ppg and fourth in scoring defense, holding opponents to 60.0 ppg. They are top-five in C-USA in steals per game at 7.7. The Miners were picked eighth in the C-USA preseason poll.

THE SERIES
LA Tech and UTEP will meet for the 25^th time overall Sunday, with Tech holding a 16-8 series advantage. Tech also holds a 7-3 lead in games played in Ruston.

The series dates to the 2001-02 season, with Tech winning the inaugural matchup in Ruston 90-53, which fueled a LA Tech nine-game winning streak. UTEP then won six of the next seven mattings, followed by four in a row from the Techsters.

UTEP took the season series in 2020-21, but Tech rebounded by sweeping the home-and-home last season.

The series has only featured four final scored decided by two possessions or less, with the average margin of victory tallying 14.3 points.

The largest margin of victory was a 54-point Tech win in 2002-03 (108-54), which also is the only time a team reached the 100-point mark. The lowest scoring affair came in 2020-21 in a 61-58 Miners' win.

TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale and can be purchased at LATechSports.com/Tickets or by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631.

GAMEDAY GUIDE/CLEAR BAG POLICY
Fans are encouraged to read the Gameday A-Z Guide and review the Clear Bag Policy for any questions regarding the gameday experience. Clear bags are required at all Louisiana Tech athletic events.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Lady Techster Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechWBB), Instagram (@LATechWBB), and Facebook (LATechWBB).

Schedule

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Players Mentioned

Robyn Lee

Silvia Nativi

Anna Larr Roberson

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