RUSTON — Louisiana Tech women's basketball team will close out the first half of the Conference USA schedule with a trip to Sam Houston on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum live on ESPN+.
 
GAME INFORMATION
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 1, 2 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Huntsville, Texas (Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum)
TV: ESPN+
STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES RECORD: LA Tech, 5-0
LAST MEETING: LA Tech 71-57 (3/6/24)
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (11-8, 4-4)
Louisiana Tech is coming off a 61-43 loss to Middle Tennessee. Paris Bradley was the only Lady Techster to score in double figures with 21. Robyn Lee had 10 rebounds to lead LA Tech on the glass.
 
Bradley continues to perform at a high level. Her three 20-point performances are the most by a freshman since 2013-14, when JaQuan Jackson had three. It is also tied for the ninth most by a Techster in her first season with the program. During conference play, the 5-9 guard ranks sixth in the league with 14.8 points a game.
 
The 19 points by Jianna Morris against WKU gave her three games of 19 or more points this season. The sophomore point guard has started all 52 games in her Louisiana Tech career and has amassed 447 points. Morris has seen her average increase from 7.0 in her freshman campaign to 11.3 this season, while her assists continue to hover around 2.0 a game.
 
Isla Airey continues to be one of the best rim protectors not only in the league but also around the country. The 6-4 forward ranks third in CUSA with 12 blocks during league play, and her 34 on the season ranks 48th overall and third among freshmen.
 
ABOUT SAM HOUSTON (8-10, 1-7)
Sam Houston picked up their first conference win against Jacksonville State before dropping both contests last week to Middle Tennessee and WKU.
 
The Bearkats are similar to the Lady Techsters in the fact that they get to the free-throw line and crash the offensive boards. SHSU ranks fifth in the country with 23.78 attempts a game and grabs 16.3 offensive rebounds to rank ninth in the nation.
 
Kaila Kelley leads the Bearkats with 14.1 points a game but has been out since the New Mexico State game on January 2. Before being sidelined, Kelley had nine games in double figures, with seven being 15 or more.
 
Deborah Ogayemi has stepped up in Kelley's absence. The junior transfer averages 11.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game. Ogayemi has four double-doubles on the season and scored double figures in 12 of 16 games. The 6-0 forward leads the league with 4.5 offensive boards a game while also ranking fourth with 2.56 steals a contest.
 
The only Bearkat to start all 18 games, Aysia Ward-Strong averages 8.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 1.9 assists a game.
 
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