zlatech.com News Update
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News Release just Posted:
Tech's Ford Suffers Ankle Injury; Questionable for Sunday

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - As if Louisiana Tech head coach Kurt Budke didn't have enough to worry about entering Sunday's contest against No. 7 Texas Tech, the first year Lady Techsters mentor must now contend with the possibility that senior center Cheryl Ford might miss the game.

Ford, the 2002 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, suffered a sprained left ankle Thursday evening in the final few minutes of the Lady Techsters workout at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Summerfield, La., native sprained the ankle when she landed awkwardly on teammate Tamaka Clay's foot during drills.

Budke said Ford, who was noticeably limping during the team's trip to Knoxville on Friday, is questionable for Sunday's 11:30 a.m. tip-off against the Lady Raiders at Thompson-Boling Arena in a nationally-televised game on espn2.

"Obviously, you can't lose the Western Athletic Conference player of the year and not feel the loss," Budke said. "We still have almost 48 hours for her to get to the point where she can play on Sunday. Our training staff is doing everything possible to get her ready."

Ford enters her senior season on the heels of a stellar junior campaign that saw her average 11.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a contest. The 6-foot-3-inch Ford has already been named a preseason honorable mention all-American in numerous publications.

Budke said if Ford isn't able to play on Sunday then junior college transfer Amisha Cater would start in her place.

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