RUSTON, La. – This is how the west was won. From an 0-4 start to conference USA's West Divisional Champions, Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters claimed their first conference title since 2011 with a win over UAB inside the Thomas Assembly Center Saturday afternoon (82-56).
The title also marks the first for the Techsters since joining conference USA.
Louisiana Tech (19-10, 11-7 C-USA) got off to another red-hot start taking a 20-12 lead after the first quarter. Five Techsters scored in the stanza including two three-pointers from
Salma Bates to spark the Techsters' offense. Bates finished with nine points and six assists.
Tech continued to pour it on UAB (15-14, 8-10 C-USA) in the second quarter with runs of 12-0 and 10-0 to build a 24-point lead at halftime (44-20).
The Techsters and Blazers traded baskets for most of the third quarter as Tech was led by
Lotte Sant who hit two of her four three-pointers in the quarter. Sant finished with a season-high 12 points.
UAB was able to shave five points off the lead sending Tech ten minutes away from the title up by 19 (56-37).
UAB continued to fight in the fourth as the lead was trimmed to 15 (60-45) with 7:32 to play, but the combination of
Keiunna Walker,
Anna Larr Roberson, and
Robyn Lee helped close the final minutes outpacing UAB 22-11 down the stretch for the 82-56 win.
Walker (20), Roberson (19), and Lee (11) all joined Sant finishing the night in double figures.
Walker's game-high 20 points was her 11th game this season with 20+ points as she also finished in double figures in 28 of her 29 games this season. Walker also flirted with another triple-double adding eight rebounds and six assists while nabbing four steals and drawing three more charges. She now has 40 on the year.
Roberson finished the regular season finishing in double figures 25 of her 28 games. Lee topped double figures for the sixth time.
Amaya Brannon also chipped in seven points and led the Techsters with seven rebounds.
Tech shot 50 percent on the night (33-66) and 58.8 percent from three (10-17) while UAB hit 21-49 shots for 42.9 percent and was 4-11 from three (.364).
NOTABLES
• LA Tech now leads the all-time series 9-6 and improves to 2-5 in games played in Ruston.
•Tech takes a four-game win streak into next week's conference tournament and won eight of their last 10 games of the regular season.
• Tech finished their conference slate 11-3 after an 0-4 start.
• The win gives Head Coach
Brooke Stoehr 99 for her tenure at LA Tech tying Teresa Weatherspoon for third all-time. Coach Stoehr's 19 wins this season also ties her season-high mark for her time at Tech.
•
Keiunna Walker finished the regular season scoring in double figures in 28 of 29 games.
• Walker moved into the top 30 on the all-time top scoring list for the Techsters passing Erica Westbrooks and Debra Rodman. She now has 1,309 career points.
•
Anna Larr Roberson scored in double figures in 25 of her 28 games this season with eight double-doubles.
•
Lotte Sant scored a season-high 12 points. It was her first game this season in double figures.
•
Robyn Lee scored in double figures for the sixth time this season with 11.
• Tech's 10 made threes in a season-high in a game this season. Tech went 10-17 for 58.8 percent which is also a season-high.
• The Techsters improve to 12-2 at home this season.
• Tech is now 18-2 when scoring 60 or more points in a game and 12-3 when holding opponents under 60.
• LA Tech is now 13-1 when out rebounding their opponents this season.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach
Brooke Stoehr...
"I'm just really proud of this group. From the players, to the assistants, to our trainers and managers. I'm just really proud. They have always believed, they kept their heads down they just worked. Great teams have great teammates and that is exactly what we have in the locker room. They just want to win. As a former player in this program I am just so excited to watch them experience this. It's one thing to do that as a player but it is completely different getting to watch it as a their coach. I'm just really proud."
UP NEXT
The Lady Techsters will head to Frisco, Texas to compete in the 2022 conference USA tournament to compete for a bid in the NCAA tournament. Tech earned a one seed in the tournament and will play the winner of Western Kentucky and UAB on Thursday, Mar. 10 at 1:30 p.m. on Court A of the Ford Center at The Star.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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