Home Sports Women’s college basketball: Fourth-quarter surge propels Lady Techsters over Jacksonville State

Women’s college basketball: Fourth-quarter surge propels Lady Techsters over Jacksonville State

by Russell Hedges

By Kevin Albarez, Louisiana Tech Associate Director Strategic Communications; featured photo by Josh McDaniel

RUSTON — All five Louisiana Tech starters scored in double figures as the Lady Techsters came back to beat Jacksonville State 80-73 on Thursday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center.

In a game that saw nine lead changes and 11 ties, Louisiana Tech (10-6, 3-2 CUSA) used a 10-0 run over a two-minute span in the fourth quarter to take a seven-point lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Jacksonville State (7-8, 1-3) came into the contest shooting just 28.3 percent from behind the arc. However, the Gamecocks made 15 triples, including seven in the second quarter, to have a 41-40 advantage at the half.

LA Tech started the game with four turnovers and three missed shots in the first four minutes of the game. The Lady Techsters settled in after Melissa Mwanza made the first bucket to tie it up at two. With Jax State holding a 6-4 lead at the media timeout, Tech used a seven-point run to go out in front 11-6. Robyn Lee would hit a three with 26 seconds left to help the Techsters hold a 16-14 lead after the first quarter.

The two teams would battle back and forth for the first seven minutes of the second stanza, with the Techsters holding a 33-27 lead. However, the Gamecocks would connect four straight shots from long range to take a five-point advantage. Tech would go 4-4 from the free throw line over the final 27 seconds to cut the deficit to one.

The third would be another battle, with neither team gaining more than a three-point advantage over the first half of the quarter. Jax State’s 12th triple of the game would give the visitors the biggest lead of the game at 56-50. Paris Bradley would grab a rebound with four seconds left and race down court to beat the buzzer to cap off a 6-2 run to close out the quarter for Tech to make it 58-56 heading into the final 10 minutes.

Jordan Marshall would hit Tech’s only other three of the game to put the Lady Techsters back up 59-58 early in the fourth. The Gamecocks would respond with two more treys to regain the lead.

Jianna Morris would kickstart the 10-0 run with four straight points from the charity stripe and end it with a layup to put Tech up 75-68. After the final Jax State triple, Isla Airey would score and have an opportunity for a three-point play. The ensuing free throw would be off the mark, but Bradley would be there to gather the offensive board and put it back up to give LA Tech the biggest lead of the game at eight. Jax State would score on the next possession but two miss on their final two shots to end the game.

Louisiana Tech finished shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 71.0 percent from the line, but just 2-12 from long range. Lee led Tech with 15 points, and Morris finished with 14. Bradley and Marshall nearly finished with double-doubles. Bradley had 12 points and nine rebounds, while Marshall had 12 and eight with two blocks. Airey had 10 points, six boards, and two rejections.

Jacksonville State hit 15-40 from long range, 38.1 percent overall from the field, and 83.3 from the free throw line. Clara Gonzalez Planella scored 16 points on 4-8 from behind the arc. Mya Barnes had 13 before fouling out.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Brooke Stoehr

“I thought our group showed some toughness and poise tonight in the 4th quarter and made some big-time stops when we needed them. We executed offensively in the 4th and got to the free throw line. We got some quality production and minutes from our bench tonight, and it was huge. The group responded well to a team that shot lights out from three tonight. Give them credit. They shot the three better than they have all year, but our group dug in and got stops when we needed them. The most important thing is our team found a way to win and protect home court.”

NOTABLES

  • Paris Bradley has scored double figures in eight of the past 10 games.
  • Bradley has had an assist in every game this season.
  • The nine rebounds are a career-high for Bradley.
  • Louisiana Tech outrebounded Jax State 42-30, the 10th time outrebounding an opponent this season.
  • Robyn Lee has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games.
  • Lee has 925 career points.
  • Isla Airey has multiple blocks in 11 games.
  • Airey breaks a tie with Cheryl Ford and passes Adrienne Johnson for the seventh most blocks in a season by a freshman for the Lady Techsters.
  • The three assists by Averi Aaron set a new career high.
  • It was the first time since November 9, 2021, that all five starters scored in double figures.
  • LA Tech has multiple blocks in 13 games this season.
  • The seven blocks tie the season-high set against Mississippi Valley.
  • Tech got shot 30 or more free throws for the fourth time this season.
  • The Lady Techsters start 3-0 in conference play at home for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
  • Louisiana Tech improved to 4-0 all-time against Jacksonville State.

UP NEXT
Louisiana Tech will be back in action at the Thomas Assembly Center on Saturday, January 18, as the Lady Techsters take on Kennesaw State at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

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