RUSTON -- Louisiana Tech played the final five minutes Saturday night with the urgency of a basketball team that had plenty on the line. After watching a 13-point second half lead evaporate and Fresno State take a two-point lead, Tech (14-4, 6-1 WAC) turned up their level of play to down Fresno State (14-5, 6-1 WAC) 70-61 before 4,102 fans at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Fresno State guard Chantella Perera's jumper with 5:17 to play completed an impressive Bulldog come back -- Tech led 54-41 with 11:06 to play -- and gave FSU a 58-56 advantage.
Junior guard Shan Moore's two free throws with 5:03 to play ignited a decisive 14-3 Techster run as Louisiana Tech won its 107th straight regular season conference game at home.
During the game-deciding run, Tech held Fresno State without a field goal as the Bulldogs missed their final nine attempts from the field.
Free throw shooting proved to be a key for the Lady Techsters, who hit 18-of-22 for the game, including 8-of-10 during the 14-3 run.
Tech shot 43 percent in the first half to grab a 33-29 halftime lead as Tamika Kursh sparked the Lady Techsters with 10 of her 12 points.
Fresno State's only lead of the first half came at 3-2 on a three-pointer by Amy Parish in the first minutes of the game.
Leading by four, Tech quickly pushed the advantage out to double digits in the second half on a three-pointer by freshman guard Eboni Mangum with 14:25 to play. Just over three minutes later, Aarica Ray-Boyd gave Tech its biggest lead at 54-41 on a three-pointer, setting the stage for Fresno State's comeback.
Techster guard Shan Moore, who entered the game as the WACÃs leading free throw shooter, hit 9-of-10 free throws while scoring a game-high 17 points and adding seven assists. Moore, who saw her streak of 27 straight free throws made come to an end with 1:35 to play, was one of four Techsters in double figures.
Williams added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists while Ty Moore scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Kursh added 12 points.
Parrish led the Bulldogs with 18 points and eight rebounds while Mirenda Swearingen added 13 points and nine rebounds.
In other WAC action
Sophomore point guard Monique Bribiescas hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to break a tie and give the New Mexico State women?™s basketball team a 50-47 victory over visiting San Jose State at the Pan American Center.
The Aggies, who were up by 14 (37-23) with 15:10 remaining in the game, fell victim to a 12-0 Spartan run that culminated in a Lamisha Augustine basket with 1:20 left, giving San Jose State a 47-45 lead. Bribiescas responded by driving past her defender for a game-tying layup with 1:02 to play.
Nevada picked up its fourth straight win with a solid effort for 40 minutes as they upended Hawai`i here 66-61 Saturday night. It is the first time in three years Nevada has won that many consecutive games.
Boise State defeated Idaho, 67-54, in front of 1,053 fans in the Taco Bell Arena. The Broncos (12-8 overall, 4-4 WAC0 had three players in double figures in the scoring column - Nadia Begay led the trio with 19. She was followed by Jackie Lee who had 16. Michelle Hessing added 11 points and had a game-high nine rebounds. Lee also added seven assists and eight rebounds to her stats.