RUSTON — Paris Bradley scored 25 points and Jianna Morris had 20 to lead Louisiana Tech to a 76-55 win over Sam Houston on Thursday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
Jordan Marshall had her ninth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Robyn Lee added 12 points and seven boards for LA Tech (14-13, 7-9 CUSA).
Lee and Marshall started the scoring early for the Lady Techsters. Lee scored the game’s first basket, and Marshall took an offensive rebound back up to give Tech a 4-0 lead. After Sam Houston (12-14, 5-11) scored on a free throw, Bradley connected on a three in front of the Bearkat bench. SHSU would cut the deficit to 17-13 at the end of one.
The Lady Techsters found themselves in foul trouble in the second. With Marshall on the bench with two quick fouls in the first quarter, five other Techsters picked up their second or third foul before halftime. That allowed Sam Houston to get to the charity stripe 18 times to tie in going into the locker room.
LA tech started to heat up out of the break. Marshall put Tech up with two free throws to start the third, but the Bearkats took their first lead on a three. Morris responded with her first trey of the night. After SHSU tied it up, Bradley and Lee combined for every point in Tech’s 11-2 run to take control of the game at 48-39.
The visitors would cut the lead to four before Bradley hit another three. Morris would close the third stanza out with triples on back-to-back possessions, the final one coming right before the buzzer to give Tech a 57-44 lead.
It took the Techsters over two minutes to score in the fourth. Bradley’s and-1 opportunity started the scoring. The 5-9 guard would miss her free throw, but Marshall was there to clean it up and put the lead to 15.
Sam Houston would get as close as 13 with three minutes to play before Morris and Bradley closed the door with two more triples in an 8-0 run to end the game.
Louisiana Tech finished 43.5 percent from the field (27-62), 41.2 from behind the arc (7-17), and 78.9 percent from the line (15-19). Bradley added five boards and five assists.
Deborah Ogayemi led Sam Houston with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Fanta Kone was the only other Bearkat in double figures at 12. SHSU finished shooting 38.3 percent (18-47), but just 20 from deep (2-10) and 68 from the line (17-25).
