Pack The House
 
Techster Cruise Past Rice, 86-58


 

  
Updated Dec 21, 2006 22:01:24


Techster Cruise Past Rice, 86-58


Boxscore

RUSTON – Shan Moore scored 16 points to lead five Louisiana Tech players in double figures as the Lady Techsters downed Rice 86-58 before 1,458 at the Thomas Assembly Center Thursday.

Tech (5-7) shot 49 percent from the field (33-67) while connecting on 8-of-9 three-pointers while limiting the Owls (7-4) to only 36 percent shooting (21-58) and forcing 24 turnovers.

“I’m so proud of these coaches and these players,” said Tech head coach Chris Long. “We struggled early in the year but they came out to practice every day with a great attitude and it’s paying off. We won’t shoot this well every night out but we were definitely due one of these. We beat a very, very good Rice team.”

Behind senior Tamika Kursh’s six points, Tech jumped out to an early 11-2 lead and never looked back. The Techsters built their first double digit lead at 14-4 at the 12:41 mark of the opening half on a three-pointer by Jo Sneed and eventually pushed it out to as many as 19 in the first half before entering the locker room leading 39-23.

Shan Moore scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the first half, hitting three three-pointers as Tech.

Rice would be able to get no closer than 14 points at 50-36 at the 14:10 mark of the second half as Tech won its third straight game.

Moore was joined in the double digit scoring parade by Sierra Nixon with a career-high tying 15 points, Jo Sneed with 11, Amber Metoyer with 10 and Tamika Kursh with 10.

Rice held Tech’s leading scorer Ty Moore to only four points, but the Lady Techsters used 43 bench points to cruise to the win.

“We are getting better and better every game offensively,” Long said. “We are starting to execute. That’s the key. We aren’t a great shooting team but as long as we continue to execute, we will continue to improve.”

Defensively, Tech held Rice to 58 points, 18 below their season average while holding Owls forward Lauren Neaves to only 13 points and five rebounds.

“I’ve enjoyed watching her play her entire career,” Long said. “She is so good and so tough to defend. We did an excellent job on her and the entire team tonight.”

April Williams added a career-high seven points and six assists while committing no turnovers in 23 minutes.

Tech returns to action Dec. 30 against LSU in New Orleans.