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LOUISIANA TECH FALLS TO TOP-SEEDED DUKE IN SWEET 16 For the second-straight season, Louisiana Tech advanced to the Sweet 16. After defeating Montana and Texas Tech on the road, the Lady Techsters fell to top-seeded Duke, 63-49 in Norflok, Va., on the campus of Old Dominion University. Despite holding Duke to only 39 percent from the field while allowing only 63 points, it was Louisiana Techs inability to generate any offense of its own that ultimately spelled the end of the season.
Senior forward Trina Frierson led all scorers with 22 points, hitting 10 of 19 field goals, but Frierson was the only Techster who consistently scored against Duke. The 2004 WAC Player of the Year Amisha Carter hit only 2 of 13 field goals and finished with only nine points to go along with a game-high 15 rebounds while junior guard Erica Smith-Taylor, who entered the game averaging 29.5 points a contest in the NCAA Tournament, finished the afternoon 5-of-15 from the field for 11 points.
For the game, Tech outrebounded Duke 43-41 while also forcing 15 turnovers while only committing 14. The Lady Techsters also kept the Blue Devils to only two fast break points the entire game.
LOUISIANA TECH DOWNS TEXAS TECH TO ADVANCE TO REGIONAL SEMIFINAL Louisiana Tech (29-2), defeated the Lady Raiders of Texas Tech, 81-64, before 4,261 at Dahlberg Arena. With the victory, Tech advances to the Mideast Regional in Norfolk, Va., and will play Duke.
For the second game in a row, Tech junior guard Erica Smith-Taylor carried her team offensively, recording a career-high 30 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from the three-point line and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Smith-Taylor, who scored a career-high 29 points in the first round against Montana on March 20, ignited the Techsters in the first half with 17 points. Smith-Taylor's heroics were big as Tech played most of the first half without Trina Frierson, who picked up two early fouls and only played five minutes, and with Amisha Carter struggling inside, hitting only 4-of-19 field goals in the game.
LOUISIANA TECH WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT WAC TOURNAMENT TITLE The top-seeded and sixth ranked Louisiana Tech brought home their third WAC title in as many seasons, defeating the Rice Lady Owls, 76-52, at the 2004 McCaffrey WAC Basketball Tournament in Fresno, Calif. on March 13. After a first-half 29-23 lead, Louisiana Tech pulled away in the second half, out-scoring the Owls, 47-29. The Techsters were led by both Erica Smith-Taylor who registered 22 points, and the tournament's MVP, Amisha Carter, who tallied 18 points and 16 rebounds en route to the title.
LOUISIANA TECH CAPTURES THIRD REGULAR SEASON WAC TITLE With solid wins over Rice and Tulsa at home, Louisiana Tech captured its third-straight WAC title. This season was the tightest race for the Lady Techsters since joining the WAC in 2001-02. Rice ended the regular season with a 16-2 league record with the losses coming against Louisiana Tech and UTEP. Third place Tulsa set a school record by winning 18 regular season games. Louisiana Tech has won 12-straight conference titles, dating back to its days in the Sun Belt Conference. The Lady Techsters' have won 160-straight games at home against unranked opponents.
LADY TECHSTERS LEAD TOURNAMENT Louisiana Tech had several players appear among the leaders in the NCAA Championship statistics. Junior Erica Smith-Taylor finished second in the championship in scoring, averaging 23.3 points per games. Smith-Taylor finished just behind instate rival Seimone Augustus of LSU, who averaged 24.2 points in five games. Senior Trina Frierson was 15th in scoring, averaging 15.3 points. WAC Player of the Year, Amisha Carter, was second in rebounding with an average of 13.7 rebound per game. Frierson was fifth (10.7 rpg). As a team, Louisiana Tech was tied for fifth in rebdound margin (+5.3).
THE WAC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT The WAC owns an all-time record of 72-36 (.667) in NCAA Tournament games. The 10 teams from the 2003-04 season own a 15-23 record (.395) as WAC members. Louisiana Tech is 66-21 (.759) in NCAA play.
THE WAC IN THE WNIT The WAC owns an all-time record of 16-18 (.471) in WNIT games. The 10 teams currently in the WAC own an 14-12 (.538) record in WNIT games, 10-10 (.500) as WAC members. In 2000-01, Hawaii advanced to the semifinals of the WNIT, falling to New Mexico. In 2002-03, both Hawaii and Rice fell in the first round. This season, Rice advanced to the second round, while Tulsa lost in the first round.
LOUISIANA TECH'S CARTER AND FRIERSON EARN ACCOLADES Louisiana Tech's Amisha Carter and Trina Frierson were both named to the 2004 Associated Press Women's All-American honorable mention team. Carter, who was named the 2004 WAC Player of the Year, is averaging 17.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for Tech while recording 17 double doubles on the year. The Oakland, Calif., native has shot 52 percent from the field while leading the Lady Techsters in scoring 14 times.
Frierson is averaging 16.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while hitting 51 percent of her field goals and 72 percent of her free throws. The Vicksburg, Miss., native has scored over 1,500 career points in her Lady Techster career.
Despite not making any of the five-man first three teams, Carter did receive one first place team vote.
RICE FALLS IN WNIT SECOND ROUND UNLV's Sheena Moore scored a game-high 33 points as UNLV defeated Rice, 68-66, in the second round of the WNIT in Las Vegas.
Rices Lauren Neaves and Lindsey Maynard both scored 18 points for the Lady Owls, who finish the season 22-10. Michelle Woods and Latrice Elder each scored 10. This is the third time under McKinneys tutelage that the Lady Owls have advanced to the second round of the WNIT.
UNLV used a 9-2 run in the last five minutes of the first half to finish the first half down by one point, 35-34 at the half, and scored 34 points in the second half to end Rices season. The Lady Owls led the entire first half and were up by as much as 12 points in the first half.
TULSA MAKES FIRST POSTSEASON APPEARANCE In its first-ever postseason appearance, Tulsa trailed 66-64 with 0:12 remaining in the contest and had a chance to tie or take the lead on the games final possession. TU inbounded the ball to sophomore Kara Pongonis on the right side and the second-year guard dribbled to the left side past a double screen. However, Memphis defenders snuffed out the play and never gave Pongonis a good look at the basket, and her last second heave came never reached the rim. Tulsa concluded the most successful season in school history with a 19-12 overall record, while Memphis advanced to the second round and improved to 21-9 on the year.
FRIERSON AND CARTER EARN REGION SEVEN HONORS Louisiana Tech seniors Trina Frierson and Amisha Carter were both named to the 2004 NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-American Region 7 Team, released by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Eastman Kodak Company.
Region 7 consists of schools from the Mountain West, Big Sky and Western Athletic Conferences and Carter and Frierson joined UNLV's RanDee Henry and Sherry McCracklin, Eastern Washington's Kathleen Nygaard and Utah's Kim Smith. WBCA head coach members from each of the eight WBCA geographical regions determine finalists .
RECORDS SET Several records were broken at this year's McCaffrey WAC Tournament. Tulsa freshman Jillian Robbins tied the record for most field goals attempted in a game with 28 against Rice. Also in that game, Rice set the record for best field goal percentage defense, holding Tulsa to a .203 shooting percentage. Rice had a strong defensive tournament setting the record for blocked shots in the championship game against Louisiana Tech with 14. The Lady Owls also set the record for blocks in a tournament with 28.
Defensively, the Lady Techsters were also strong, setting the record for most turnovers caused in a tournament with 83. Junior Erica Smith-Taylor tied the record with 14 steals in a tournament. Louisiana Tech also set a few offensive records, scoring 100 points against Boise State in the quarterfinals. The 100-53 Lady Tecshters win was also the largest wining margin, 47 points. In that game, Louisiana Tech scored 66 first-half points also a record.
In a loss to Boise State, Hawaii tied the record for three-point field goals attempted with 31.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Louisiana Tech's Amisha Carter earned the Lady Techsters their third-straight WAC Tournament MVP. Following in the steps of Ayana Walker and Cheryl Ford, Carter earned the tournament's top honor. She was joined by teammates Erica Smith-Taylor and Trina Frierson. Freshman Lauren Neaves of Rice and Jillian Robbins of Tulsa rounded out the team.
NON-CONFERENCE RECORD The WAC ended the season with a 49-49 (.500) record against non-conference opponents. The WAC had the most wins against the Southland Conference with a solid 7-2 record. The WAC was 5-1 against the Big West Conference. The league had a solid 2-0 mark against the Big Ten. The WAC has seven losses against the Big 12 and Pac-10 Conferences.
CAREER LEADERS (ALL GAMES)
Three-Point Field Goals
1. 365 Becky Hammon, CSU, 1995-99
2. 362 Julie Krommenhoek, UU, 1994-98
3. 295 Jill Sutton, TCU, 1997-01
4. 272 Lindsay Logan, FS, 1999-03
5. 236 Andrea Cossey, SMU, 2000-04
6. 222 Staci Oddo, FS, 1992-96
7. 208 Amy Billhymer, UTEP, 1993-97
8. 206 Falisha Wright, SDSU, 1991-95
9. 204 Kari Gallup, BYU, 1994-98
10. 188 Connie Krueger, FS, 1995-99
Total Free Throws
1. 597 Amy Burnett, UW, 1991-95
2. 562 Kieshsha Garnes, SDSU, 1990-92
3. 539 Becky Hammon, CSU, 1995-99
4. 469 Kate Smith, UN, 1999-03
5. 466 Cricket Williams, SJSU, 2000-04
6. 432 Lila Osceola, TU, 1996-00
7. 457 Raylene Howard, UH, 1996-00
8. 405 Teresa James, CSU, 1992-96
9. 396 Marla Brumfield, RU, 1996-00
10. 393 Abby Garchek, UNM, 1994-98
Total Assists
1. 644 Cricket Williams, SJSU, 2000-04
2. 612 Alli Bills, UU, 1994-98
3. 561 Lindsay Logan, FS, 1999-03
4. 538 Becky Hammon, CSU, 1995-99
5. 523 Dee Dee Dominguez, CSU, 1992-96
6. 469 Tamika Stukes, UNM, 1994-98
7. 448 Falisha Wright, SDSU, 2000-03
8. 445 Jill Sutton, TCU, 1997-01
9. 438 Thais Kidd, BYU, 1991-95
10. 407 BJ Itoman, UH, 1995-99
Total Steals
1. 354 Tamika Stukes, UNM, 1994-98
2. 324 Falisha Wright, SDSU, 1991-95
3. 314 Becky Hammon, CSU, 1995-99
4. 311 Cricket Williams, SJSU, 2000-04
Marla Brumfield, RU, 1996-00
6. 303 Kasie Pittman, TU, 1996-00
7. 273 Thais Kidd, BYU, 1991-95
8. 255 Julie Krommenhoek, UU, 1994-98
9. 237 D-dra Rucker, SMU, 1999-01
10. 234 Jodi Nowlin-Tres, SDSU, 1993-97
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST WAC schools finished first in the nation in three statisitcal categories. Rice was first in the nation in blocked shots (7.0 bpg). Louisiana finished first in steals (14.1 spg) and winning percentage (90.6). The Lady Techsters ended the season second in scoring margin (23.2) and scoring offense (82.5). Louisiana Tech senior Amisha Carter was 11th in rebounds per game (10.8 rpg), while San Jose State's Cricket Williams was eighth in the nation in steals (3.4 spg).
20 SOMETHING Louisiana Tech and Rice are the only WAC teams this season to reach the 20-win plateau. With its 21-game winning streak, the Lady Techsters won 29 games this season. Rices 22 wins this season is the fifth under head coach Cristy McKinney with 20 or more wins.
CARTER AND FRIERSON MAKE WAC HISTORY Louisiana Tech senior Amisha Carter and Trina Frierson made WAC history by being the only teammates to end the season one-two in scoring. Carter led the WAC in scoring, averaging 16.9 ppg. Frierson was second in scoring, averaging 16.2 ppg. Carter was also first in the league in rebounding, averaging 10.8 rpg.
WAC ADDS NEW MEXICO STATE, UTAH STATE On Oct. 23, 2003, the WAC issued invitations to New Mexico State and Utah State for the 2005 season. New Mexico State is currently 13-16 this season. Utah State is 5-22 in its first season of women's basketball in 17 years. The Aggies earned their third Big West win against Long Beach State, 64-60.
AGAINST THE BEST The WAC was 2-10 against non-conference teams ranked in the top 25. Louisiana Tech captured the league's first win over a ranked team with a last-second win over then-No. 6 Penn State. The Lady Techsters earned their second win in the second round against Texas Tech. SMU played three ranked teams in No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 23 TCU. No. 12 Louisiana Tech fell to No. 3 Tennessee two weeks ago. Hawaii lost to No. 21 Arizona, while Rice fell to No. 7 Stanford and No. 18 LSU. Fresno State was 0-1 this season against ranked teams falling to No. 19 Utah. Tulsa lost to No. 2 Duke in Durham on Dec. 14. Rice lost to Baylor who ended the season ranked. Duke captured another win against the WAC with a win over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA Regional Semifinal. Rankings at time of meeting.
SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS Several WAC players made it into the single-season top five. Louisiana Tech's Amisha Carter moved up to second behind former teammate Cheryl Ford in total rebounds with 329 so far this season. Teammate Erica Smith-Taylor is fifth in total steals with 101.