JOURNAL SPORTS
HOUSTON – Louisiana Tech overcame a 16-point deficit Thursday night but Rice got a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 21 seconds left and ended the Techsters’ season taking a 66-61 victory in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice, the regular-season American Athletic Conference champion, moved on to a visit to Kansas next Tuesday with a 29-5 record. The Conference USA champion Techsters finished at 26-7 with their second straight five-point defeat after they were upset 43-38 by sixth-seeded Missouri State last Saturday in the CUSA Tournament finals.
After an 11-point halftime deficit that grew to 16 soon afterwards, the visitors began a gradual climb back into contention, briefly taking a fourth-period lead and forging a last-minute 61-all tie.
“Our team came back out at halftime and competed really well,” said Lady Techsters coach Brooke Stoehr. “We got back to who we have been all year long. It was really fun to see that and I am so proud of how we competed. It came down to one shot.”
Sophomore Paris Bradley led the way with 17 points, marking her seventh time in the last eight games to be the leading scorer for the Lady Techsters. Jianna Morris was close behind with 15 points, hitting two triples and grabbing four rebounds.
Rice took charge in the second quarter with a 24-11 edge for a 35-24 halftime advantage. It grew to 16 points soon after halftime, but Tech scrapped back and closed within 50-44 entering the final 10 minutes.
Not long after the start of the fourth quarter, Bradley and Morris nailed back to back triples to give the Techsters a 54-53 lead, their first since the early minutes of the second quarter.
Rice recovered to go up by five with 1:08 to play. Bradley converted an and-one before Morris knifed through for a lay-in, tying the game again with 41 ticks left on the clock. The Owls got a go-ahead 3-pointer from 21-point scorer Louann Battison with 21 seconds left and Bradley was called for traveling five seconds later. Battison iced it on two free throws with nine seconds left.
“That’s a very, very talented basketball team. They’ve won a ton of games this year,” said Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds. “Hats off to them for the game that they played. I’m very thankful to be able to get the win.”
The 26-win total is the best by a Techsters’ team in 20 years.
“I am incredibly grateful for this group and I do not want this to diminish what they have accomplished,” said Stoehr. “Incredible run, and to do it the way they did it in conference, a regular season championship, 19 straight wins.
“When we’re able to look back on this season there will be so much to be proud of,” she said, “what this group was able to accomplish and the journey they took us on this season. “