LA Tech 69, NMSU 42 Jan. 28, 2012 Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. Louisiana Tech used a pair of 15-0 second half runs to blow open a tight game as the Lady Techsters defeated New Mexico State 69-42 in Western Athletic Conference action Saturday before 1,109 fans at the Pan American Center. Leading 22-19 at the half, Tech (10-10, 3-2 WAC) shot 52 percent (18-35) from the field in the second half as the Lady Techsters outscored the Aggies (4-16, 1-4 WAC) 47-23 after intermission. Senior guards Kiara Young and Whitney Jones provided the spark as the duo each scored 15 points, combining to hit 11-of-18 field goals, 3-of-6 three-pointers and all five free throws while also pulling down 10 rebounds. Young, who entered the game having hit only one three-pointer all season, connected on a pair of long-range bombs in the first two minutes of the second half. After a Tabytha Wampler layup with 17:09 to play cut the Tech advantage to 32-25, the Lady Techsters held the Aggies scoreless for more than six minutes. Tavasha Anderson’s layup with 11:20 to play capped the first 15-0 run of the second half as Tech led 49-25. A Kelsie Rozendaal free throw for the Aggies at the 10:53 mark snapped the run. NMSU then used a modest 8-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to 49-33 with 7:53 to play before LA Tech answered again, scoring 15 straight points over the next three-plus minutes
to push the advantage to 31. Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon emptied her bench with four minutes to play as the Lady Techsters won for the eighth straight time in the series and improved to 15-2 all-time against the Aggies. The opening 20 minutes was an offensive struggle for both teams as Tech shot only 33 percent (9-27) from the field while NMSU shot only 29 percent (6-21). In a half that saw five ties and seven lead changes, NMSU’s biggest lead came at 10-8 while Tech’s biggest first half advantage was 2216. However, Wampler hit a three-pointer with 33 seconds to play in the first stanza as Tech led 22-19 at the break. While Tech found its offensive rhythm in the second half, New Mexico State couldn’t overcome the Lady Techsters defensive pressure as the Aggies turned the basketball over 25 times. Tech outscored the Aggies 33-6 on points off of turnovers. For the game, Tech shot 44 percent (2762) from the field, 7-of-19 from the three-point line and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. NMSU shot only 29 percent (12-42) from the field for the contest, hitting 3-of-11 from the three-point line and 15-of-23 from the free throw line. Tech recorded 17 assists and only 12 turnovers while the Aggies outrebounded Tech 3734. Shantale Bramble-Donaldson added eight points and nine rebounds while Jasmine Bendolph and Angie Felton each added seven points. Wampler led NMSU with 14 points and nine rebounds.
LA Tech 77, Nevada 63 Feb. 2, 2012 Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. Louisiana Tech Senior guard Jasmine Bendolph has always said she loves playing for one of the greatest point guards in the history of women’s basketball in current Lady Techster head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. On Thursday night in Tech’s 77-63 win over Nevada, Bendolph tried everything in her power to give her best impression of T-Spoon ... and pretty much succeeded. The Mobile, Alabama native recorded her third career double double with 12 points and a career-high 15 assists as the Lady Techsters shot 53 percent (31-58) for the game in the 14-point victory over the Wolf Pack (5-16, 1-5 WAC). Bendolph’s 15 assists were the sixth most in Tech history and the most by a LA Tech player in more than 24 years. The last Lady Techster to accomplish the feat was none other than Weatherspoon, who tallied 15 dimes in a win over Oklahoma State in 1987-88. “She makes the game so easy,” said Weatherspoon, who saw her team record 29 assists on 31 field goals. “Her vision is so good. She can see behind her. She knows what is about to happen before it happens. She makes the game so much easier for everyone else. To see her perform with so much energy and life is fun. That’s her job. It’s unselfish basketball. You
get joy from passing the basketball. Her teammates were finishing for her. I am proud of her.” Bendolph got Tech (11-10, 4-2 WAC) started early as she recorded assists on the first four field goals and eight of the first nine as LA Tech built a 20-12 lead with 12:50 to play in the first half. Shantale Bramble-Donaldson was the main recipient in the first half of Bendolph’s distribution as the senior forward scored 14 of her 16 points in the opening 20 minutes. Tech built its biggest advantage of the first half at 36-18 on a Kanedria Andrews layup off a Jelena Vucinic assist with 5:37 to play. “We wanted to makes sure we shared the basketball,” Weatherspoon said. “We have been working on those things. We are starting to see people when they are open. We were turning the corner and finding people open. We were drawing the defense and finding open shots. We were knocking down those shots.” After Nevada cut the Tech advantage to 4029 with less than two minutes to play in the half, Bendolph ignited an 8-2 run to close the half with a three-pointer and freshman Whitney Frazier capped it with an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer as the Lady Techsters led 48-31. Bendolph then opened the second half with a three-pointer to give Tech what would be its biggest lead of the night at 51-31 before the Wolf Pack used a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to 52-41 with 14:19 to play. The lead was pushed back out to 19 at 6647 thanks to offensive contributions by Tavasha Anderson and Frazier. Nevada made one final push and cut the Techster advantage to 71-61 with under two minutes to play before Bendolph hit a 15-foot jumper and then recorded her 15th and final assist of the night on a fast break layup by Bramble-Donaldson with less than a minute to play. Anderson tied her career-high with 17 points while Frazier recorded her first career double double with 14 points and a career-high 11 boards. Chanelle Brennan led Nevada with 17 points and eight rebounds. Tech held the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer in Kate Kevorken to only four points.
2012-13 LADY TECHSTER BASKETBALL
vantage to 50-34 - its biggest of the game. The Spartans, who entered the game having won six of their last eight games and off to their best WAC start in more than six years, wouldn’t hang up their sneakers easily though as a 13-2 run during the next five minutes cut the deficit down to five as a pair of Johnson free throws made the score 52-47. A conventional three-point play by Bramble-Donaldson and a pair of three-pointers by Jones over the next four minutes helped the Lady Techsters extend the advantage out to double figures at 64-53 with 5:18 to play in the game. Brea Matthews scored five straight for SJSU and Sara Plavljanin’s layup with 36 seconds to play brought the Spartans to within 68-64. However, despite hitting only 2-of-6 free throws in the final minute of play, Tech held on for the win. In addition to Bramble-Donaldon and Jones’ big nights, Bendolph added nine points and five assists while Frazier chipped in with eight points and a career-high tying eight rebounds. Young added five points and nine boards. For the game, Tech shot 42 percent (27-65) from the field and 9-of-26 from the three-point line while SJSU hit only 34 percent (24-71) from the field. The Spartans did connect on 13-of-24 from the free throw line compared to only 7-of12 for the Lady Techsters. Johnson led San Jose State with 18 points and 10 rebounds but hit only 7-of-24 field goal attempts while Ta’Rea Cunnigan added 17 points and Plavljanin scored 14 points.
Fresno State 61, LA Tech 59 Feb. 4, 2012 Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La. Angie Felton’s running 30-footer at the buzzer bounced off the rim as Fresno State solidified its spots atop the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 61-59 win over Louisiana Tech before 7,034 fans at the Thomas Assembly Center Saturday night. With Tech trailing by two, Fresno State forward Rosie Moult missed the front end of a one-and-one with just under six seconds remaining. Tech’s Whitney Frazier pulled down the rebound, found point guard Jasmine Bendolph who found Felton running up the middle of the floor. Felton got a good look but just misfired as Fresno State survived a furious LA Tech rally. It’s the sixth straight game in the rivalry which will
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