Courtesy of LA Tech Athletics
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Louisiana Tech’s fourth-quarter rally was not enough as the Lady Techsters fell to Liberty 75-64 on Saturday afternoon in Liberty Arena.
Louisiana Tech (9-6, 2-2 CUSA) limited one of the best forwards in the league to nearly a season low, but Liberty (10-5, 3-1) had six other players score eight or more points.
The Lady Techster offense started slow, with two turnovers and two missed shots on their first four possessions. That allowed the Lady Flames to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Isla Airey made a hook shot in the lane three minutes into the game to put the Techsters on the board.
Tech would try to fight back, but Liberty, one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, got hot from behind the arc. The Lady Flames made 6-10 from long range to take a 26-11 lead after one.
Robyn Lee would score the first seven points for Tech in the second quarter, and a jumper by Jianna Morris would cut the deficit to 10 at the 4:30 mark. From there, Liberty would extend the lead back to 19 thanks to a four-point play, and that’s where things would stand heading into the locker room.
LA Tech would again cut the lead back down to 13 halfway through the third. However, five points by the Lady Flames in the final minute would put the deficit back to 19 heading into the final stanza.
The Techster offense came alive in the fourth with a 61.5 percent shooting clip and a perfect 4-4 from long range. LA Tech would start to cut into the lead three and a half minutes into the quarter with a six-point run. A three by Paris Bradley got the Lady Techsters within 10 with three minutes remaining.
Five straight by Bradley, a layup, and another triple would pull the Techsters within single digits with 28 seconds remaining. Liberty would hit two free throws, and Tech would miss a shot, ending the game.
Louisiana Tech finished 22-57 from the field and 7-19 from deep. The Techsters would shoot 72.2 percent from the charity stripe. Lee finished with a game-high 19 points and added six rebounds. Bradley finished with 17 points and four boards, while Morris was the only other Techster in double figures with 11.
Liberty finished shooting 43.1 percent for the game and 11-21 from three. The Lady Flames converted 14-15 from the line. Asia Boone was the only player in double figures with 13. Emmy Stout had seven boards to lead Liberty.
Louisiana Tech returns to the Thomas Assembly Center on Thursday, January 16, to take on Jacksonville State, with tipoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
