Louisiana Tech University
Liberty
Preview: LA Tech at Liberty
1/12/2024 4:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech women's basketball team is looking to bounce back after dropping their first conference game of the season when they travel to Lynchburg, Va., to take on Liberty at noon CT on Saturday inside Liberty Arena.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 13 | noon CT
Location: Liberty Arena (Lynchburg, Va.)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Kyle West (PxP), Kelley Deyo (analyst), Annie Corey (reporter)
Radio: KNBB 97.7 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Talent: Kyle Roberts
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (7-10, 1-1)
Louisiana Tech's five-game winning streak ended against Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night. The Lady Techsters scored four points in the final 30 seconds to send the game into overtime.
Anja Bukvic's three at the end of overtime would have sent the game into another period but bounced off the rim.
Bukvic and Mackenzie Wurm came off the bench to spark the Lady Techstes, who were down by 11 early in the first quarter. Bukvic finished with eight points and four rebounds, while Wurm had seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Anna Larr Roberson had the final four points in regulation for the Lady Techsters to send the game into overtime. She would finish with a game-high 14 points on 7-14 shooting. Roberson has a team-high 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Salma Bates also had a game-high 14 points and added three rebounds and three assists. She has scored at least nine points in 16 of 17 games this season.
Bates continues to be one of the top players in the conference. She leads the league in three-pointers (36) and three-point attempts (124). Her 2.12 three-pointers per game and 30 steals are second in the league, while her 29 percent from three-point range is fourth in CUSA.
ABOUT LIBERTY (5-12, 0-2)
Liberty dropped their first two CUSA games to Western Kentucky (68-66) and Jacksonville State (78-63). The Flames were up by as many as 15 against Western Kentucky during the second quarter, but the Hilltoppers held them to eight points in the third.
The game against Jacksonville State was the opposite, with Liberty getting down by 20 early in the second quarter. The Flames tied the game at 50 apiece a minute into the fourth, but the Gamecocks would outscore LU 28-13 the rest of the way.
Center Bella Smuda is one of the top rim protectors in the country. Smuda is second in the conference and No. 11 in the country with 40 blocks on the season, and her 2.5 blocks per game rank 13th in the nation. Her 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game have produced seven double-doubles this season.
Preseason All-CUSA selection Emma Hess is a threat from behind the arc. Her 34 three-pointers and 38.2 three-point percentage are the top conference marks, and she ranks in the top 100 nationally.
Freshman Asia Boone is a three-time CUSA Freshman of the Week with seven double-figure scoring games on the year. Boone averages 9.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
THE SERIES
This is the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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