JOURNAL STAFF
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech’s fast start created an easy finish Thursday night in a 64-49 beatdown of Florida Atlantic, the fourth win in the last five Conference USA contests for the Lady Techsters.
The Lady Techsters (12-8, 4-5) built a commanding 39-20 halftime lead on 60 percent shooting, while holding visiting FAU (5-15, 1-8) to 26 percent.
Keiunna Walker’s 19 points and 16 by Anna Larr Roberson topped the Techsters. Roberson stretched her streak of made free throws to 21.
MEN
LSUS 80, LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN 70: Leandre Washington scored 24 points to lead the Pilots (15-6, 8-1) who got out to an early lead and never trailed in posting the Red River Athletic Conference win on the road in Alexandria. LSUS, who has won six straight, also got 16 points from Quentin Jones, Akeem White scored 12 and Royce Hunter provided 10 points and team-high six assists. Kae’ron Baker led all scorers with 26 points for the Wildcats, who never got any closer than seven points in the second half while falling to 9-11, 4-5.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 97, HOUSTON BAPTIST 87: Winning a third straight, this one on the road, Mike McConathy’s Demons rose to .500 in league play near the midpoint of the 14-game Southland Conference season. NSU (7-16, 3-3) tied a single-game school record with 17 3-pointers, shot 61 percent overall, and used a late 18-3 burst to take command. LaTerrance Reed scored 21 and Carvell Teasett 20 for the Demons, who dominated the closing minutes for a third straight time. Captain Shreve’s Kendal Coleman had 12 points and 13 rebounds, his 10th double double in the last 13 games. After blowing an early 12-point lead, the Huskies (6-12, 2-4) got 30 points by Darius Lee.
ULM 60, ARKANSAS STATE 59: Nika Metskhvarishvili nailed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to give the visiting Warhawks (11-12, 3-8) to a surprising Sun Belt Conference victory in Jonesboro, Ark. The Red Wolves (14-6, 5-3) led 48-34 with 12 minutes left but an 11-0 burst got ULM back in it. Andre Jones led the winners with 21 as the Warhawks snapped a four-game skid and claimed only their second W in the last 21 tries at ASU, which was 9-1 at home this season.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 83, LOUISIANA TECH 73: At Boca Raton, Fla., the Bulldogs (16-6, 7-3) dropped their third Conference USA contest in the last four outings as FAU (13-9, 6-3) sank 14 of its first 18 shots and maintained control. David Green’s 18 points paced Tech, with Kenneth Lofton Jr. posting 16 points and 14 rebounds, along with six assists and four steals.
WOMEN
LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN 58, LSUS 46: The Pilots fell behind early and never recovered in dropping the Red River Athletic Conference game in Alexandria. Angel Reese led LSUS (11-10, 6-3) with 15 points, Tatym Barnes hit 4-of-12 3-point attempts in scoring 13 points and DeAuja Thompson contributed 10 points and nine rebounds. LC (11-7, 5-4) was led in scoring by Kieyoomia Benally with 17 points.
HOUSTON BAPTIST 66, NORTHWESTERN STATE 51: At Sharp Gym in Houston, Southland co-leader HBU (9-8, 5-1) used a 12-0 run late in the first half to move ahead, then stifled the struggling Lady Demons (9-8, 2-4), who lost their third straight. A 24-11 third quarter jolt by the Huskies stretched a 30-26 halftime lead and hampered by 22 turnovers, Northwestern couldn’t recover. Jiselle Woodson’s 14 points topped the visitors, while BPCC product Monette Bolden added 10.
ULM-ARKANSAS STATE PPD: A leak in the roof of ULM’s Fant-Ewing Coliseum over the court forced postponement of the Sun Belt Conference game, which was rescheduled for Monday at 5.
Photo by SADIE PATTON/Louisiana Tech
