Techsters defense quiets Thundering Herd in home win

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech used stifling defensive effort and timely shooting to pull away late in a 60-50 win over Marshall in front of 1,503 in the Thomas Assembly Center.

The game was a defensive battle for all 40 minutes, and Tech held the Herd to just 29% shooting from the floor and 20% from beyond the arc. The Lady Techsters held Marshall scoreless for nearly four minutes of the fourth quarter en route to securing the win.

“I thought we did a great job defensively. We got a really great defensive effort today and really needed that win at home before heading back out on the road,” Lady Techster co-head coach Brooke Stoehr said.

Amber Dixon led the Lady Techsters in scoring with a game-high 16 points. Grayson Bright and Raizel Guinto also contributed double figure scoring with 14 and 11 points respectively. Anna Larr Roberson controlled the boards with a game-high 14 rebounds.

“Anna Larr’s minutes in the second half really allowed us to stretch the lead and we needed every single one of her rebounds today,” Stoehr said.

The Lady Techsters led nearly wire to wire, taking a 6-4 advantage after a three from Dixon with 6:54 left in the first quarter and holding it the rest of the way. Marshall closed within a basket on multiple occasions, but Tech got contributions from every player on the floor to ensure they held on throughout the contest.

The Herd made a final run at the lead with with 7:44 left in the game, using two easy layups to cut the Tech advantage to 44-41. Dixon extended the lead back out to 47-41 with a three-pointer before Bright went on a personal 7-3 run that gave Tech a 54-44 lead.

“We need that from Grayson. I think it starts with her energy,” Stoehr said. “She’s such an energy-giver, and when she’s attacking and aggressive in making things happen for us, it’s always reflected in her shooting percentage.”

Tech returns to action next weekend. The Lady Techsters travel to the Sunshine State for matchups with FIU and Florida Atlantic on February 13 and 15.

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