From LA Tech Communications
RUSTON – First place Louisiana Tech dominates Kennesaw State 72-44 Thursday night in the Thomas Assembly Center, its seventh win in a row.
“I thought our energy was really good, it has been that way in practice the last two days,” Lady Techster Head Coach Brooke Stoehr said. “We were locked in from the start with great focus and energy. For three quarters we were solid defensively, but gave up too many in the fourth quarter. Our defensive energy got us going offensively. I thought we had a really good crowd tonight and I am glad for people to see that our group is fun to watch. We have an unselfish group that is really learning the flow of our offense, which has allowed good looks for us to knock down shots.
“The depth of our team has been huge as well, it feels like we have eight starters. We have players that can step into any role at any point and as a coach it gives us great confidence and comfortability. It makes us hard to prepare for when you have so many players who contribute the way they do. We are consistently playing 10 people because their practice habits have improved and it is reflective in how they are playing and competing.”
The Owls were the first to strike in the TAC, but Jianna Morris converts an and-one to take the first Lady Techster lead 7-5. That play was part of a 12-2 Lady Techster run that set up a 14-7 lead at the first media with LA Tech making five straight baskets. Averi Aaron’s inbounds layup sent the teams to the benches with an 18-11 LA Tech lead. The ball movement was key for Louisiana Tech with five assists on seven made baskets.
The second quarter was all Lady Techsters. A 13-1 run started the quarter with Kennesaw State missing their last five shots heading into the first media. Once the Owls scored, the Lady Techsters ran off another 6-0 run to end the quarter, only allowing five points in the entire frame. Eleven assists on 14 baskets with nine different LA Tech scorers highlighted a 39-16 Lady Techsters first half.
Louisiana Tech continued to pour into its lead during the third frame, sparking a 7-2 into the first media. Paris Bradley’s spinning layup extended the lead to 33, the largest of the game. The Lady Techsters defense continued to stall the Owls, only allowing seven points in the third quarter on one field goal. Bradley played all 10 minutes of the third, scoring a team high six points.
Kennesaw State’s offense found its footing in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to spark a comeback. The Owls scored 21 in the frame, almost more than the previous three quarters combined. A 21-10 run for KSU only closed the gap to 28, ending in a 72-44 Lady Techsters victory.
Ten different Lady Techsters scored in the game with nine registering an assist. Paris Bradley led the team with 15 points, her ninth time leading in scoring this season. Kaleigh Thompson continues to provide a spark off the bench, scoring nine points and tying the lead for rebounds with six. Thompson had a plus/minus of +33 in only 23 minutes.
Tech returns to action Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. against Jacksonville State.
