Tech Ends Three-Game Home Stand Against SFA
Posted Dec 15, 2002 16:52:15

RUSTON - Sixteenth-ranked Louisiana Tech will complete its current three-game home stand when the Lady Techsters host Stephen F. Austin Monday at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Tech (5-2), which has won three straight games since falling to No. 5 Tennessee on Dec. 4, and Stephen F. Austin (0-5) will resume an old rivalry that was one of the best in the country during the late '70s and early '80s.

The Ladyjacks are winless on the season; however, SFA's schedule is rated as the 22nd toughest in the nation in the latest Collegerpi.com rankings with road losses to No. 16 Arkansas, Wichita State, Alabama, No.18 Oklahoma and Colorado State.

"Stephen F. Austin is a much better basketball team than their record indicates," said Tech head coach Kurt Budke. "They are a lot like us as far as they have played an extremely tough schedule to this point of the season. They are well-coached and very talented; it will be a challenge."

Tech leads the series 22-5, including wins in 19 of the last 20 meetings with the Southland Conference member. Much like the Lady Techsters, Stephen F. Austin has a history of tradition in women's basketball as the Ladyjacks have made 15 straight NCAA Tournament appearances while capturing 13 of the past 15 Southland Conference regular season titles.

Another similarity between the two programs is that Stephen F. Austin is one of the youngest teams in the country as head coach Lee Ann Riley's squad consists of three seniors and seven freshmen. Only two letter winners return from last year's 24-6 team that won the Southland Conference title.

The Lady Techsters hope to continue their recent offensive surge as Tech has hit 51 percent of its shots during the past two wins, including 11 of 24 from the three-point line. Despite Tech's improvement in shooting the basketball, Budke said he is still unhappy about his team's slow starts.

"We simply have to learn to come out and play hard from the opening tip," Budke said. "We can not continue to start slow because it will eventually cost us. Great basketball teams play with the same intensity every night, and we have to learn that."

The game can be heard on KXKZ-FM 107.5 (Ruston), KBYO-FM 104.5 (Tallulah-Vicksburg) and KYLA-FM 106.7 (Shreveport) as well as via the Internet at www.z1075fm.com.