PALO ALTO, Calif. - Doneeka Hodges' high arching bank shot with 0:37 remaining sealed Louisiana Tech's fate as LSU downed the Lady Techsters 69-63 Sunday night at Maples Pavilion.
With the shot clock running down and the Tigers leading by 65-63, Hodges penetrated to the free throw line and hit the off-balance hanger to help LSU advance to Tuesday night's West Region semifinal against Texas.
LSU overcame a 17-point Tech lead in the second half to end the Lady Techsters (31-3) season.
Leading 50-33 on a Toya George 18-foot jump shot at the 14:31 mark of the second half, Tech failed to score for over six minutes while the Tigers produced a 16-0 run to cut the Techster advantage to 50-49.
Tech held onto its lead until Hodges hit a 15-footer with 5:24 remaining in the game to give LSU a 57-56 lead, the first by the Tigers in the game. With LSU leading 65-61, Amber Obaze hit a floater in the lane with 1:07 remaining to cut the deficit to two, setting up Hodges heroics.
Trina Frierson led Tech with 18 points, while Cheryl Ford finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Erica Smith added 11 points and eight rebounds while freshman guard Tasha Crain chipped in with 10 points, six assists and five rebounds in 40 minutes.