Saturday, Jan. 26 WAC Women’s Recaps
Louisiana Tech 71, Utah State 56
Box Score
LOGAN, Utah - Shanavia Dowdell and Jo Sneed each scored 17 points to lead Louisiana Tech to a 71-56 win over Utah State Saturday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
With the victory, Tech improved to 9-10 overall and 3-3 in Western Athletic Conference action while Utah State fell to 6-13 overall, 2-5 in league play.
Tech, which lost a hard-fought contest at Nevada Thursday night, recorded a stellar defensive performance, limiting Utah State to only 28 percent (17-60) shooting on the night.
"For one day of preparation, I thought we did a great job of defending," said Tech head coach Chris Long.
"Utah State runs some good stuff and they have some quick guards who are great at coming off screens and attacking. We put them at the free throw line too many times, but overall I was really, really pleased."
Behind the long-range shooting of Dowdell, Nastassja Levingston and Tiawana Pringle, Tech opened a quick 15-6 lead with 14:21 to play after back-to-back three-pointers by Levingston.
Dowdell consistently knocked down 17, 18- and 19-foot jumpers against a sagging Utah State defense that was set on keeping Sneed from hurting them inside.
"We ran the same set three times to start the game and the second half," Long said. "We felt they would help off Shanavia at the high post and they did. She did a great job of knocking down those shots. Utah State also did a nice job of mixing up their defenses, and I felt like we really adjusted to them. I feel that it's a sign that this young team is starting to grow up."
Utah State cut the Tech advantage to 29-25 before the Lady Techsters used an 8-2 run to close the half and entered the locker room leading 37-27. Sneed scored nine straight points late in the first half to help Tech hold onto that advantage.
"I like what I'm seeing from our kids as far as finding a way to get the ball inside," Long said. "We are doing a much better job of reversing the basketball and getting it inside."
After Utah State hit the first bucket of the second half, Tech responded and quickly pushed its advantage out to 52-34 on a pair of free throws by freshman Tarkeisha Wysinger at the 13:21 mark.
Wysinger scored 11 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and registered five assists for Tech in recording her third career double double.
Tech led 62-42 with 7:09 to play on a layup by Sneed before Utah State made a late running, closing the gap to 64-52 with 2:41 to play. However, Tech hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final two minutes to pull out the win.
For the game, the Lady Techsters hit 20-of-21 free throws.
Taylor Richard's led Utah State with 18 points while Danyelle Snelgro added 11.
Tech returns to action Saturday when it hosts Hawaii at 7 p.m.
Nevada 83, New Mexico State 76 (OT)
Box Score
RENO, Nev. ? Freshman Johnna Ward’s layup with seven seconds remaining in the second half tied the game at 70-70 and Nevada outscored New Mexico State 13-6 in overtime as the University of Nevada women’s basketball team beat New Mexico State 83-76 Saturday night.
With the win the Pack improves to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the WAC while the Aggies fell to 14-5 and 4-2 in the WAC.
New Mexico State opened the game on a 7-0 run and led by as many as 14, 24-10, with 12:19 remaining in the first half. Nevada closed the gap to seven points on eight occasions in the first half as the Aggies took a 43-36 lead at the half. Nevada guard Dellena Criner played only four minutes in the first half after picking up two quick fouls.
Nevada shot 37.1 percent (13-of-35) from the floor in the first half while New Mexico State shot 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from the field.
A three-pointer by Criner with 16:56 remaining in the second half cut the Aggies’ lead to two, 45-43. New Mexico State went up by as many as nine, 56-47, with 12:50 left in regulation. A jumper by Mikail Price tied the game for the first time at 64-64 before a basket by Bre`Anna Henry gave Nevada a 65-64 lead for its first lead of the game.
A three-pointer by New Mexico State’s Madison Spence with 53 seconds left in regulation put the Aggies up by two, 70-68, before Ward’s layup with seven seconds remaining tied the game at 70-70.
Eleven of the 13 points the Pack scored in overtime were from the free throw line. Marianne Lombardi scored Nevada’s only field goal in overtime, giving Nevada a 77-76 lead with 41 seconds left in overtime. A pair of free throws from Criner with five seconds left sealed the win for the Pack as Nevada posted its ninth straight win at home this season.
“The girls battled tonight and I am so proud of them,” head coach Kim Gervasoni said. “We played poorly early on but people stepped up. Johnna did a great job at the point. I hope people see the composure this team has, this team is showing a lot of character. We’re going to enjoy the win tonight and then get ready for Fresno State on Thursday.”
The Pack ended the game shooting 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the floor and 79.5 percent (35-of-44) from the line. The Aggies finished the game shooting 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the field. New Mexico State outrebounded Nevada 48-35 in the game.
Price, who scored a team-high 20 points including 16-of-18 from the free throw line, led five Nevada players in double figures. Cherlanda Franklin added a career-high 17 points, while Criner scored 14. Ward and Henry came off the bench to score 11 and 10 points respectively. Franklin and Henry each added a team-high six rebounds.
“New Mexico State is a team that gave us a battle,” Franklin said. “We didn’t give up and our team plays with so much heart.”
The win marked the 200th home victory in program history.
Nevada will travel to Fresno, Calif. to face the Fresno State Bulldogs on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Pack will return home on Feb. 2 to host Utah State at 7 p.m.
Fresno State 83, San Jose State 65
Box Score
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Fresno State women's basketball team won its ninth straight game on Saturday as they beat San Jose State for the second consecutive game 83-65. The nine straight wins ties the school record for consecutive wins and ups the Dogs record to 11-8 overall and 6-0 in WAC play.
The 6-0 start also ties a school record for the best start in conference history and the most consecutive
conference wins.
The Bulldogs had four players score in double figures led by Tierre Wilson's, Jaleesa Ross' and LaShaunte Stephens 14 points. Emma Andrews had a career high 11 points. Stephens grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while Ross has seven boards. LaToya Brown came off the bench to score nine points.
The Bulldogs shot 52 percent from the floor and out rebounded the Spartans 31-25. The Dogs' defense also forced San Jose State into 21 turnovers.
Fresno State used a 10-0 run late in the first half and a 14-0 run early in the second period to pull away for the victory. The Dogs led 41-34 five minutes into the second half when Andrews and Wilson combined to score 12 of the 14 points in the run to take a 55-34 lead with 12:47 to play in the game.
The Bulldogs led the Spartans 34-27 at halftime but it took most of the half to pull away with the lead. The score was tied at 23 with 4:42 to play until the break when Fresno State went on a 10-0 to take a 33-23 lead after a Bailey Amundsen free throw with 59 seconds left in the period.
Ross had 11 points in the first half while Wilson had nine and Stephens seven.
Fresno State travels to Boise State on Monday for a 6 p.m. tip off at Taco Bell Arena. The game can be
heard live on 790 ESPN Radio, the Deuce.
Hawai?i 68, Idaho 53
Box Score
HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team jumped out to an early lead against Idaho and never looked back Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, beating the Vandals 68-53.
In the first half, the Rainbow Wahine forced the Vandals into nine turnovers and went on a 17-2 run to give them a 15-point lead they would never give up. UH led wire-to-wire Saturday night.
Offensively three players scored in double figures for the Rainbow Wahine, including Tanya Smith, who had an impressive double-double. Smith recorded a career-high and came within one rebound of tying the school record with 25 rebounds and 14 points.
The 25 rebounds for Smith is a career-high and the most rebounds in a game since Judy Mosley recorded 21 rebounds in 1989. Renee McKnight holds the school record with 26 rebounds in 1978. Smith now has 13 double-doubles on the season.
Iwona Zagrobelna came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points and Megan Tinnin added 10 points.
As a team the Rainbow Wahine shot 43.6 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range. UH held Idaho to 35.8 percent shooting from the field and 22.2 percent from long range.
With the victory the Rainbow Wahine improve to 2-4 in Western Athletic Conference play and 8-11 overall. Idaho dropped to 1-6 in WAC and 2-17 overall.
In the first half, the Rainbow Wahine were led by Megan Tinnin, who scored 12 points, including three 3-
pointers. Iwona Zagrobelna came off the bench to score nine points and Tanya Smith grabbed 13 rebounds and added seven points in the half.
UH shot 40.6 percent in the first half, outrebounded Idaho 23-14, only committed six turnovers and went 3 for 6 from long range. Idaho shot 35.7 from the field and went 2 for 10 from long range.
The Rainbow Wahine travel off the island for the fourth time this season when they face New Mexico State on Thursday, January 31 at 4 p.m. (HST). UH will face Louisiana Tech on Saturday night in Ruston, La. at 3 p.m. (HST). The Rainbow Wahine will be making the first of two trips to Las Cruces, N.M. as the WAC Tournament will be held at New Mexico State for the second straight year.