RUSTON — Three players recorded double-doubles for Louisiana Tech, but the Lady Techsters had to hold on late to beat Mississippi Valley State 66-59 Tuesday night in the Thomas Assembly Center.
Jordan Marshall had her second straight double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Isla Airey finished with her second in three games at 12 and 11, while Robyn Lee came up with big plays for the second of her career with 15 points and 13 boards.
Louisiana Tech (4-1) took over two minutes to score and were down 4-3 before a steal by Airey led to a fast break layup by Paris Bradley, started a nine-point run by the Lady Techsters, giving them a 12-4 advantage heading into the media timeout.
Out of the timeout, Tech’s offense started turning the ball over and allowed Mississippi Valley (0-5) to stay in the game. Baskets by Marshall and Lee would be the only scoring for the Techsters the rest of the quarter, and they would hold a 16-11 lead after one.
Marshall scored the first eight points for the Lady Techsters to open the second stanza. After a jumper in the paint at the 9:17 mark, it would be another two minutes before Tech got on the board. That is when she would score six in five seconds. Marshall knocked down her first three of the year from the top of the key, and Sydney Thomas would steal the inbound and give it right back to Marshall for the other one.
A Melissa Mwanza layup pushed the lead to double digits on the next possession. LA Tech would extend the lead to 36-22 at the half.
Tech looked to be in control a minute into the second half before MVSU went to a full-court press that forced the Lady Techsters into turnovers. That would lead to open shots for the visitors to the tune of 44 percent shooting. Coupled with just 12 points by LA Tech, the lead shrunk to five heading into the fourth.
Louisiana Tech faired better against the press in the fourth and maintained their lead throughout the fourth. The Lady Techsters did enough to outscore MVSU 18-16 in the final quarter.
LA Tech finished shooting 44.4 percent from the field with 51 rebounds.
Mississippi Valley’s leading scorer was limited by foul trouble early, but Sh’Diamond McKnight finished with 16 points to lead the Devilettes. D’Yanna Maxey added 14 and four steals. MVSU finished 21-72 for 29.2 percent.
