University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagles open New Year at home, host Louisiana Tech
1/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss returns home to host Louisiana Tech in the first game of 2010 on Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WXHB-FM 96.5 with Josh West providing play-by-play action.
Southern Miss (4-8) has lost its last four games that included an 87-61 loss at Alabama. Seniors Pauline Love and Candace Rucker scored 24 and 20 points, respectively. Love collected her seventh double-double after grabbing 10 rebounds.
Love continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding with 15.9 points and 12.4 rebounds per game and Washington is averaging 11.0 points per outing.
As a team, Southern Miss is averaging 62.8 points and 39.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 67.6 percent from the line.
Louisiana Tech is coming off an 82-72 win over UTSA in finals of the USTA New Year's Classic. Shanavia Dowdell recorded a double-double with 30 points and 18 rebounds.
Three Lady Techsters are averaging in double digits led by Adrienne Johnson at 17.5 points followed Dowdell at 16.9 and Whitney Jones at 12.0. Dowdell also leads the team in rebounding at 10.9 boards per game.
Coach Teresa Weatherspoon is in her second season at Tech after taking over midseason last year and leading the Lady Techsters to a 21-13 record and second round of the WNIT. Tech returns four starters.
The Lady Techsters are averaging 77.1 points and 43.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 69.3 percent from the free throw line.
SERIES RECORD -- This is the fourth meeting between the two teams. La Tech leads the series, 2-1, dating back to the 1990 season. Southern Miss won the last meeting between the two teams in Ruston. This is the first time the teams will face each other in Hattiesburg.
LAST TIME AGAINST LOUISIANA TECH -- Southern Miss defeated Louisiana Tech, 67-62, in Ruston on Dec. 8, 2007. Pauline Love scored 18 points to go with 18 rebounds for Southern Miss and Stephanie Helgeson added 14 points. Louisiana Tech used a 7-0 late in the game to get within a point, 61-60, but the Lady Eagles connected on 6-of-6 in the last 1:05 to seal the win. Shanavia Dowdell and April Williams scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, for LA Tech.
UP NEXT -- The Lady Eagles opens Conference USA play at East Carolina, Jan. 8 in a 6 p.m., tip.
