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Tasha Crain
Louisiana Tech |
Louisiana Techs Tasha Crain has been named the Western Athletic Conference Womens Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 3. This is the first career WAC Player of the Week honor for the junior.
Crain, junior from Kingsland, Ark., led Louisiana Tech to victories over Tulsa and Rice, averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Crain shot 50 percent (11-of-22) from the field and 91 percent (19-of-21) from the free throw line.
Trailing by 16 points to Rice in the second half, Crain led Louisiana Tech to one of the biggest comebacks in the programs history, scoring a career-high 29 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and hitting 15-of-16 free throws. The 15 free throws made ties the Louisiana Tech single-game record. Crain scored 16 of her 29 points in the game-ending 30-6 run by the Lady Techsters over the final 10 minutes of the game. She hit 10-of-10 free throws in the final 2:11 of the game, including two to tie the game at 64, and two to give Louisiana Tech its first lead since 9-8 early in the first half. She also added three rebounds, three assists and two steals on her 21st birthday.
Two nights earlier, Crain led all Tech scorers with 12 points. She was 4-of-9 from the field and made 4-of-5 free throws, while adding five assists, three rebounds. She also added two steals and one block shot in a 63-47 win over Tulsa. Crain spearheaded a Tech defense that held Tulsa to a season low 47 points and only 29 percent shooting.
Other nominees included: Tasha Harris, Boise State; Aritta Lane, Fresno State; Michelle Woods, Rice; Amber Jackson, San Jose State; Janielle Dodds, SMU and Charnette Phelps, UTEP.