by Malcolm Butler
Trailing by six points at the half and their hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth in jeopardy, Louisiana Tech got downright defensive against Liberty.
The Lady Techsters (27-5) held the Flames to just 17 points in the second half and rallied for a 61-48 win to advance to the Conference USA championship game for the first time since 2022.
“It was just an unbelievably gritty, tough game by both teams,” said Stoehr. “I think you have to give Liberty a lot of credit. I thought they forced tempo and played the pace that they wanted the game to be at for a majority of the game.”
After Liberty shot over 50 percent from the field in the opening two quarters to build a 31-25 halftime lead, the Lady Techsters picked up their defensive intensity over the final 20 minutes. Tech held the Flames to just 6-of-27 from the field, including 2-of-13 from the three-point line.
“I can’t say enough about the resilience and the toughness and grit of our group,” said Stoehr. “To come back and defend the way they did in the second half, only giving up 17 points, and that’s who this group has grown into all year long. We just said, stay true to who you are, and they did that beautifully, and it’s a really, really fun thing to see when they celebrate each other and they play together with that toughness and that grit.”
Tech trailed 39-38 heading into the final quarter and that’s when the Lady Techsters showed why they are the Conference USA regular season champions, outscoring Liberty 23-9.
However, it didn’t come without some dramatics.
Tech led 46-39 with just over six minutes to play when the Flames used a 7-2 run, including a three-pointer by Avery Mills with exactly 5:00 minutes to play to cut the deficit to 48-46.
On the ensuing offensive possession for Tech, the best player in Conference USA showed why.
Paris Bradley calmly sank a corner three-pointer that started an 11-0 run to seal the victory.
“We were in a play, and Jianna did a good job of drawing my defender,” said Bradley. “Jianna is a really good athlete and scorer and so they have to help on her. So she drew my defender, and I just lifted and moved with her and got to the open space. And I was able to hit the shot.”
It was one of four three-pointers by Bradley, who set the sophomore 3-pointers made record for Tech and finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals.
“I thought we had a bunch of opportunities in the third quarter and just didn’t convert,” said Stoehr. “But I thought we converted them in the fourth quarter. We stayed true and we stayed the course of who we have been all year … and when we went back to that when it mattered most, we came through.”
Tech hit 22-of-29 free throws in the game which helped the Lady Techsters overcome a minus nine in the rebound column.
Sophomore Jordan Marshall came up big for Tech in the win, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds.
“Coach Brooke told me to stay in it, and that I know who I am,” said Marshall. “I know my identity. God is so good. I just told myself, that I know me, and He knows me, and I just wanted to go out there and do everything to the best of my ability.”
Tech outscored Liberty 20-9 on points off of turnovers, forcing 15 by the Flames.
Tech will play Missouri State Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with a berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
