LaTech women pummel Rainbows

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Louisiana Tech's Erica Smith-Taylor battles UH's Milia Macfarlane for the ball. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Led by Amber Obaze's career-high 23 points, Louisiana State pounced early and rattled Hawai'i with relentless pressure in a 67-50 Western Athletic Conference victory.

A crowd of 775 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the two-time defending WAC champion Lady Techsters win their fourth game in a row and improve to 12-2 overall and 5-1 in the WAC. Hawai'i fell to 4-10 and 2-3, and remained winless in 12 games against the Lady Techsters.

Louisiana Tech set the tone from the start with relentless man-to-man pressure. Hawai'i committed a season-high 23 turnovers, including 13 in the first half.

"I think we went in a little intimidated at the start," Hawai'i junior forward Jade Abele said. "We've done really well with our turnovers this season. It's just disappointing that we went down like that in the start."

Hawai'i entered the game as the least turnover-prone team in the WAC with 13.5 per game. Last night, Louisiana Tech scored 29 points off Hawai'i's turnovers.

"If we play good defense, our offense will come," Obaze said. "If we make them turnover the ball, that's more offense. That kind of gets our team going."

With just over eight minutes remaining in the game, Hawai'i freshman point guard Janevia Taylor landed awkwardly after colliding with Erica Smith-Taylor. Taylor suffered a sprained back, and didn't return. A doctor said Taylor is expected to be ready for Thursday's road game at UTEP, according to UH sports information assistant Neal Iwamoto.

"I'm sure she'll be sore for a while," Goo said. "But she's a tough kid. She'll be back."

Louisiana Tech led by as many as 18 points in the first half, and 27 in the second half. The Lady Techsters never let their lead dip below 11 in the second half.

Much of the offensive credit went to Obaze. The 5-foot-9 senior guard tormented Hawai'i all night, scoring 12 points in the first half and 11 in the second.

"I felt well-rested tonight," Obaze said. "(Hawai'i) sagged into the post so they kept our guards a little more open. We go to our posts mainly, but Hawai'i did a good job scouting and seeing where our points were coming from and stopped that."

During one stretch in the first half, Hawai'i went nearly 11 minutes without scoring and trailed 19-3 before Taylor's 3-pointer cut the lead to 19-6 with 8:46 remaining.

After Louisiana Tech grabbed its largest first-half lead at 25-7, Hawai'i responded with a 12-2 run to close to 27-19. Obaze scored four of the team's last six points for a 33-21 halftime lead.

In the second half, Abele's 3-pointer got Hawai'i to 35-24, but Hawai'i would get no closer.

"It's just two different teams," Louisiana Tech coach Kurt Budke said. "We got a veteran team, and Vince has got a very young team. I'm a big Vince Goo fan. He's one of the better coaches in the country. You can already see how he's bringing this team together.

"But we've got kids who have been to the Sweet 16 who have fought those battles," Budke continued. "It's just a matter of experience."

The Lady Techsters' Smith-Taylor scored 11 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Hawai'i was led by Taylor's career-high 16 points and Abele with 14.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.