University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Louisiana Tech
Lady Eagle Basketball Falls at Louisiana Tech
1/24/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RUSTON, La. -- Turnovers proved costly for the Southern Miss women's basketball team Sunday afternoon as the Lady Eagles fell to Louisiana Tech by a score of 72-37.
Southern Miss drops to 10-7 overall and 3-3 in league play while LA Tech improves to 9-8 and 4-2. This was the fewest points scored by a Lady Eagles team since Dec. 15, 2010 when Southern Miss scored a season low 40 points in that game.
"Louisiana Tech was really good today," Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. "They punched us in the mouth and fought us took and nail and rather than bowing up and fighting back we found excuses. Excuses don't win ball games. We had our way to begin the game, but we began turning the ball over. Today was not our day. Again, LA Tech played well and we played awful.
"The one player I do want to compliment is Lashyra Cotton," McNelis said. "I thought she played with fire today. Did she play a perfect game, no, but she played in a more attack mentality. I was proud of the way she tried to perform."
Caitlin Jenkins recorded ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Lashyra Cotton added nine points and six rebounds.
Both teams started off slow offensively. LA Tech got on the scoreboard first after two minutes of play. Southern Miss went ahead scoring four straight in taking a 4-2 lead. After a three-pointer by Tech, Dinkins added a bucket for a 6-5 lead. From there, LA Tech scored five unanswered points for a 10-6 lead. Cotton completed a three-point play to cut the lead to 10-9 before the Lady Techsters finished the quarter on a 4-0 run for a 14-9 lead.
Southern Miss was able to cut the LA Tech's lead to 14-13 early in the quarter, but a 12-2 run pushed LA Tech's lead to double digits for the first time at 26-15. The Lady Eagles scored five unanswered points to get within 26-20. LA Tech scored the final points of the quarter for a 30-20 halftime lead.
The Lady Techster broke open a close game during the third quarter after Southern Miss cut the lead to eight, LA Tech then used a 16-2 run over a six-minute span in taking a 22-point lead. The Lady Eagles would get no closer than 21 points late in the quarter.
LA Tech outscored Southern Miss 22-11 in the final period including 12-0 in points off turnovers and eight second chance points.
Southern Miss will have a two-game road swing when the Lady Eagles travel to UTEP on Thursday, Jan. 28 followed by a trip to UTSA on Saturday, Jan. 30.
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