Louisiana Tech set for San Antonio trip
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Another week of COVID negative tests means another week of Conference USA basketball action as Louisiana Tech travels to Texas for a two-game series against Texas-San Antonio at the Convocation Center Friday and Saturday.
Louisiana Tech (7-3, 2-2 C-USA) and UTSA (2-7, 0-4 C-USA) will tip off Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m.
“UTSA is a dangerous place to play,” said Louisiana Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr. “It has always been a difficult place for us. We won there last year, but our two previous trips we lost on buzzer beaters.
“They have a really good guard in Mikayla Woods who played really well against us last year in Ruston.
“I think she is starting to really find her form. I think their key is [Adryana] Quezada. She is just a versatile player, averaging 15 [points] and 10 [rebounds] for them.
“We have to do a great job with our team defense and keeping them off the glass. They are averaging in conference play, against two teams I consider really good rebounding teams in Rice and North Texas, right at 15 offensive rebounds a game.
“It is going to be another game we have to really focus on our defensive rebounding, defend as a group.”
The Lady Techsters have split each of their first two C-USA series against Marshall and Western Kentucky, a rarity on the women's side in Conference USA.
Through the first two weekends of league play, 11 of the 13 series have been sweeps with the only two splits being the two series that involved the Lady Techsters.
Defense has been the key to the Lady Techsters success thus far. Louisiana Tech ranks among the league's best in scoring defense (59.9 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.386), turnovers forced (19.8 per game) and turnover margin (plus-3.63). Louisiana Tech has held nine of its 10 opponents to 69 points or less, including four straight to 61 points or less.
“In order to win at high level consistently, you have to be able to defend and rebound,” said Stoehr. “I think if our guards can rebound, it allows us to push in transition and put some pressure on the opponent. I think the buy
in has been there for our players.
“They have really focused on we what are asking each other to do and how we are going to trust our teammates.
“I think they have really bought into that. Because of that, we are in every game. Defense and rebounding, it travels. You can take that with you, no matter where you are playing. This group has done a much better job of focusing on that and taking that to heart.”
Keiunna Walker (16.3 ppg), Anna Larr Roberson (10.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Raizel Guinto (10.2 ppg, 20 3-pointers), Brianna Harris (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Amber Dixon (8.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg) continue to pace the Lady Techsters offensively.
UTSA has been swept in its first two league series, falling twice to defending C-USA champion Rice, as well as twice on the road at North Texas.
The Roadrunners return 10 letter winners from a season ago, including sophomore guard Mikayla Woods who was one of the top freshman in the league last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Woods scored 28 points to lead UTSA to an 84-75 win over Louisiana Tech in Ruston last season, but missed the contest when Louisiana Tech defeated the Roadrunners 69-30 in San Antonio in March.
Louisiana Tech leads the alltime series 12-5.