Courtesy of LA Tech Communications
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech’s strong defense and second half scoring guides them to its ninth straight home win over Central Arkansas, the best home start in 20 years.
“I thought tonight was a really good win against a top 100 NET team that is extremely well coached,” Lady Techster Head Coach Brooke Stoehr said. “Central Arkansas puts a lot of pressure on you and forces you to guard all five positions from the three. They get downhill and kick out to open three-point shooters and are solid defensively, only giving up 55 a game. That first half was not looking great for us, but I was really proud that when we were not scoring, we still defended on the other end and battled. I thought our bench was huge tonight as well. We had a number of defensive possessions where we got a deflection, and we started picking them up to apply pressure.
“Credit to UCA, they scout really well. Rebounding in the second half was huge, that is what we really needed. Getting downhill helped us get those 33 free throws and that was huge for us. I cannot express how proud I am of our players for continuing to attack and create. Jianna has made huge plays every game and her growth has been big for this team. Her leadership is so valuable to this team and her confidence continues to grow. She was so good in that third quarter for us.”
It quickly became apparent that scoring would be difficult on both ends for both teams, with no basket being recorded in the first two minutes of the game. Louisiana Tech would not score their first points until Jordan Marshall’s spinning layup after 3:46 minutes of game time. The offense struggled early, with LA Tech shooting 1-8 from the field entering the first media timeout. After heading back onto the court, the Lady Techsters full court press immediately produced, forcing a turnover and leading to a Kaleigh Thompson layup, scoring her 800th career point. The defense would grab two more steals in a row, allowing the Lady Techsters to tie the game 7-7 behind Paris Bradley’s free throws. Bradley would end up shooting a season high eight free throws in the first quarter, the most by a Lady Techster. The game would stay close throughout the quarter, but Jordan Marshall’s second three of the season would give LA Tech the lead heading into the second quarter, 12-11. Bradley would go 5-8 from the charity stripe, tying with Marshall for the scoring title with five points in the first. Six Lady Techsters recorded a steal, totaling seven.
The Sugar Bears would take control early in the second quarter, running out to an 11-1 run in the first four minutes. Jianna Morris nailed a triple to get the first Lady Techsters basket, marking the 16th game in a row the junior guard has made a three-pointer. Louisiana Tech would trail as much as nine, but closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to only be down 27-25 entering the second half. Fifty-two points in the half is the second lowest mark in a Lady Techster game this season. Jianna Morris’s two threes would give her six points, the most of a Louisiana Tech player in the quarter.
Louisiana Tech would put together their best 10 minutes offensively in the third quarter, jumping out to a 12-6 run into the first media of the quarter. Jianna Morris shined in the third, scoring eight points on 3-3 shooting with three assists and two rebounds. Jordan Marshall’s steal and layup would cap an 8-0 Lady Techsters run, pushing the lead to 10. Joy Madison-Key would reject a Sugar Bear layup to close the half with a 51-41 LA Tech lead. Twenty-six points by the Lady Techsters was a game high for both teams, led by Morris’s eight points. Seven LA Tech players chipped in to score, with five securing two or more rebounds.
The Lady Techsters would use the fourth quarter to stay ahead and keep the lead safe. Kaleigh Thompson’s and-one layup would help break the two-minute field goal drought, giving her 10 points on the night, a new season high. A few scoreless minutes would be ended by another and-one, this time by Paris Bradley, her first basket of the night. Free throw shooting would keep the Lady Techsters ahead to close the game, ultimately shooting 13-14 in the quarter from the line. The lead ballooned to as much as 16 as the Lady Techsters closed out their ninth home win in a row, 70-55.
The 6-0 start in the TAC is the best home start for the Lady Techsters since the 2005-06 season. Paris Bradley went 12-17 from the free throw line, the most attempts since Jianna Morris had 16 against New Mexico State on Jan. 4th, 2025. Bradley tied Marshall with 16 points for the team high. Marshall led the way with 10 rebounds, securing her fourth double-double of the season. Four Lady Techsters dished three assists; the first time this season a four-way tie was set for a statistic.
“If you want to win a championship, you have to find a way to win on the road and take care of home court,” Stoehr said. “It is something that we take great pride in. We need to take care of the ball and communicate defensively. Once we do that, it is a recipe you want in order to win on the road. Defending, rebounding and taking care of the ball will give us an opportunity to win every night.”
Tech returns to action Saturday, Dec. 20, against Central Baptist.
