Women's Basketball Loses to LA Tech 73-68

Thursday, February 12

Boca Raton, FLA.

7:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

11-11, 5-6

Louisiana Tech

12-11, 7-5

LATECH

Florida Atlantic

2/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Feb. 12, 2015

Final Stats

BOCA RATON, Fla. - After building a 19-point first-half lead, the Florida Atlantic University women's basketball team fell to Conference USA rival Louisiana Tech 73-68 in Boca Raton on Thursday.

The Owls (11-11, 5-6 C-USA) were outscored 44-30 in the second half and missed their last five shots while LA Tech made each of its last five to win the game.

"I thought we played hard. For us to get a 19 point lead is huge against a very good team," FAU Head Coach Kellie Lewis-Jay said. "This is something we can learn from."

Sophomore Shaneese Bailey led FAU with 24 points while junior Morgan Robinson tied her career-high with 18 points and paced the Owls with six rebounds. Freshman Danneal Ford, making her third-straight start, doubled her previous career high with 12 points in the first 11 minutes of the game. Each of the three reached double-digit scoring in the first half alone.

The Owls started the game on a 6-0 run before the Lady Techsters (12-11, 7-5 C-USA) got on the board. LA Tech cut the lead to two at 14-12 before FAU went on a 19-2 run to take the largest lead of the night at the 8:10 mark of the first half on a fast-break steal and layup by Robinson.

The Lady Techsters ended the first half on a 9-0 run, including a jumper by JaQuan Jackson in the closing seconds, to cut the FAU margin to 38-29 at the break. The Owls went the final 4:11 of the first half and the first 3:30 of the second half without a basket, but was perfect from the free throw line as Robinson made a jumper to make it 45-37 with 16:30 to play.

FAU pulled back ahead by 11 on a layup by freshman Malia Kency just two minutes later and the two teams swapped baskets for the next several possessions.

A 7-0 LA Tech run made it a one-point game with just over six minutes left. Kency hit another jumper to put FAU back up by three before the Lady Techsters made back-to-back baskets to take their first lead of the game at the 3:20 mark.

FAU would retake the lead at 68-67 on a jumper by Bailey with 1:43 to play, but LA Tech ended the contest on a 6-0 run to complete the comeback victory.

FAU allowed its fewest rebounds of the year, holding LT to just 27 boards, but gave up one of the best field goal shooting performances of the season as the Lady Techsters shot 52 percent from the field.

The Owls host Southern Miss (16-7, 9-3 C-USA) Saturday, Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. at FAU Arena. For ticket information, visit FAUSports.com or call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.