Louisiana Tech Tops ORU With Late Game Winner

ORU women's hoops falls after La. Tech sinks game winner.

Saturday, December 15th 2012, 12:12 am

By: News On 6


Louisiana Tech's Whitney Frazier hit a game-winning field goal with :12 left, leading the Lady Techsters to a 61-59 victory over Oral Roberts University on Friday night at the Thomas Assembly Center.

ORU (3-5) had an opportunity to win the game at the buzzer, but Taylor Cooper's last-second 3-pointer was off the mark and the Golden Eagles lost for the fifth time in six games.

Kevi Luper led the Golden Eagles with 18 points, while Bernadett Balla came off the bench to score 16. ORU shot 43.6 percent from the floor.

Frazier led all players with 21 points, while Brittany Lewis added 13 for the Lady Techsters (4-5). The home team shot just 39.1 percent from the floor but won the turnover battle, 17-10.

The Golden Eagles got off to a great start, building an early double-digit lead. A Sarah Shelton layup at the 14:43 mark gave Misti Cussen's club a 14-4 advantage.

But the momentum did not last, as Louisiana Tech responded to the ten-point deficit by launching a 32-10 run. A basket by Janay Borum gave the home team a 36-24 lead with 6:37 left in the half.

ORU got back into the game late in the half, with a Balla jumper cutting Tech's lead to 38-32 just seconds before the intermission.

The Techsters took advantage of an 8-0 run early in the second half, with a Frazier layup stretching the lead to 50-41 with 14:44 on the clock. But ORU would not go away, methodically getting back into the game. They finally retook the lead with 4:13 left on the clock, when Cooper hit a baseline runner to make the score 57-56.

ORU tallied points for the final time with 2:32 left in the game, as Shelton scored off of a Jaci Bigham feed to give ORU a 60-59 lead. Neither team scored on their next three possessions, setting up a closing sequence that would cost the Golden Eagles.

Cooper attempted a three-pointer with :30 left and missed, but Balla was able to grab the rebound. The sophomore could not convert the putback, however, and Louisiana Tech wrestled away the second rebound.

The Lady Techsters beat ORU down the floor, with Frazier missing an open jumper. The sophomore got her own rebound, however, and hit on her second attempt, drawing the foul in the process.

The made free throw gave the home team a 61-59 lead. ORU's final shot attempt, a three-pointer by Cooper from the left wing, did not fall and Louisiana Tech left the arena with a two-point win.

Bigham finished with nine points and six assists for ORU, while Shelton scored eight points.

ORU is now 1-7 all-time against Louisiana Tech.

The Golden Eagles continue their season-long six-game road trip on Dec. 20, when they face Big Ten Conference heavyweight Nebraska. Tipoff in Lincoln, Neb., is booked for 7:05 p.m.

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