RUSTON — Louisiana Tech women's basketball team is back in the Thomas Assembly Center to start the back half of Conference USA action when the Lady Techsters host Liberty on Thursday night live on ESPN+.
 
GAME INFORMATION
DATE/TIME: Thursday, February 6, 6:30 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Ruston, La. (Thomas Assembly Center)
TV: ESPN+
STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
SERIES RECORD: Liberty, 3-0
LAST MEETING: Liberty 75-64 (1/11/25)
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (11-9, 4-5)
Louisiana Tech fell to Sam Houston 70-65 on Saturday. Paris Bradley and Jordan Marshall led the Lady Techsters with 18 points apiece. Marshall added 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double on the season. Sydney Thomas added a season-high 11 points on 4-7 shooting and 3-5 from behind the arc.
 
Bradley continues to have a tremendous freshman campaign. The 5-9 guard ranks fifth in the conference with 15.1 points a game during league play. During that time, Bradley is shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 80.5 percent from the free throw line, ranking inside the top 10 in both. She is the only freshman to score 20 points in a conference game this season. She is tied for ninth in Lady Techster history with three such performances.
 
Marshall is the only other freshman to score 20 points in a game this season. The Arkansas native continues to be one of the top freshman rebounders in the country. Her 7.9 boards a game rank third among freshmen and is fourth in CUSA. Her five double-doubles this season are the most by a Lady Techsters since 2021-22.
 
Thomas has been a key piece for Tech this season on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Thomas has knocked down 15 triples on the season, with eight coming during conference play. On the defensive side of the court, the 5-8 guard has taken 15 charges this season, the most by a Lady Techster since the 2022-23 season.
 
Louisiana Tech continues to get to the free-throw line at a high rate. The 22.45 attempts per game are 10th in the country, and the 15.20 made are 23rd. The Techsters also rank second in the league and 83rd in the country with 39.05 rebounds per contest.
 
ABOUT LIBERTY (15-5, 8-1)
Liberty is tied for first in CUSA and has won seven straight after falling to Middle Tennessee at the beginning of league play. The Lady Flames are coming off a 62-53 win over Jacksonville State.
 
The Lady Flames have one of the top inside-out games in the country. Liberty shoots 36.7 percent from behind the arc and 46.5 overall from the field. Their 40.15 rebounds a game rank 51st in the country, and they are the 20th-best team with 4.9 blocks per game on the defensive side.
 
Bella Smuda is a big reason for Liberty's presence in the paint. The redshirt senior leads the team with 12.2 points a game on 55.9 percent shooting. On defense, Smuda affects shots and ranks 31st in the country with 1.95 blocks a game. She has five games of four or more blocks this season.
Liberty has four players with over 20 triples on the season. Asia Boone Leads the way with 38, followed by Emma Hess with 34, and Avery Mills and Pien Steenbergen have 21 apiece.
Hess is the second leading scorer for the Lady Flames with 10.6 per game. Boone is the only other Liberty player in double figures at 10.1.
 
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