RUSTON | The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team will open the 2023 WNIT with a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks inside the Bud Walton Arena on Thursday, Mar. 16, at 7 p.m. The game can be seen on SEC Network+. In addition, the live radio broadcast and live stats can be found on the LA Tech Athletics app.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, Mar. 16 | 7 p.m. CT
Location: Bud Walton Arena | Fayetteville, Ark.
TV/Stream: SEC Network+
Radio: KNBB 97.7 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats | LA Tech Athletics app
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (19-12, 12-8 C-USA)
Louisiana Tech has won seven of their last eight regular-season games before falling to UTEP in the Conference USA Tournament Quarterfinals the previous week to give the Techsters a 19-12 mark on the season. Tech is seeking back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2009-10 and 2010-11.
2023 will mark the fifth program appearance in the WNIT for LA Tech, with Tech holding a 1-4 mark in the postseason tournament. This will be the fourth WNIT under
Brooke Stoehr and the second in as many seasons. Stoehr led the Techsters to another round of back-to-back WNIT appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Tech's 19 regular season wins matched last year's total and are the third time Coach Stoehr has reached the 19-win mark. The 12 conference wins also match the most for LA Tech since joining C-USA.
Keiunna Walker and
Anna Larr Roberson were named to the 2022-23 All-Conference Teams on Tuesday. Walker picked up the first-team and all-defensive honors, while Roberson earned a second-team mention.
Walker currently ranks No. 8 on the all-time scoring list with 1,959 points, just two points from No. 6 and 27 points from claiming a top-five spot. Roberson sits at No. 34 on the all-time list with 1,236 points.
This season, the magic metrics for the Techsters, which have led to perfect 11-0 marks, have been holding teams under 60 points and outrebounding opponents. Tech is also 10-1 when scoring more than 70 points.
ABOUT ARKANSAS (21-12, 7-9 SEC)
Arkansas compiled a 21-12 record, including a 7-9 mark in SEC play, and earned the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament after being picked fifth in the preseason poll.
The Razorbacks beat No. 9 seed Missouri, 85-74, in the tournament's opening round before falling to the No. 1 seed and No. 1 team in the country, South Carolina (93-66).
Arkansas began the season rattling off 13 straight wins, including top-25 road wins over No. 25 Kansas State (69-53) and No. 16 Creighton (83-75).
The Razorbacks are led by Mike Neighbors, who is completing his sixth season in Fayetteville. Neighbors came to Arkansas after a four-year run at Washington, where he reached the 2015-16 Final Four. Neighbors also worked under former LA Tech assistant Gary Blair as his Director of Operations at Texas A&M.
Arkansas is led on the floor by a balanced, four-player double-figure attack, including All-SEC Second Team member Erynn Barnum at 15.7 PPG, who ranks third in the SEC in field goal percentage at .558.
Saylor Poffenbarger leads Arkansas in rebounding (6.7 RPG) and blocks (37), while Makayla Daniels leads the team with 54 steals. Poffenbarger garnered SEC All-Freshman after picking up five SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
Arkansas's 73.0 PPG ranks No. 4 in SEC play, and the Razorbacks lead the league in three-point attempts (897) and makes (271).
This marks Arkansas's eighth appearance in the WNIT (10th in WNIT/NWIT) and the 26th postseason tournament appearance. Arkansas is 6-0 in opening WNIT games. The Razorbacks won the tournament in 1999 over Wisconsin (67-64).
THE SERIES
Thursday's matchup will be the fourth overall between the Techsters and the Razorbacks but the first in the last 40 years. LA Tech and Arkansas last saw each other in the 1983 season opener in Fayetteville, Ark., with Tech winning 75-52.
The other two meetings took place in Ruston, with Tech taking both matchups, 82-28 in 1978 and 74-34 in 1982.
Tech and Arkansas shared two common opponents during the 2022-23 season, in Arkansas State and Vanderbilt.
Both teams took care of Arkansas State, with Tech winning 59-56 and the Razorbacks winning 77-63. Arkansas split the season series with Vanderbilt, winning 84-81 in Fayetteville and falling 70-78 in Nashville. Tech fell to the Commodores 70-75 in overtime.
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