RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech returns home for a two-game slate beginning this Thursday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. to face off against the Rice Owls inside the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La.
 
Techsters Fans are encouraged to wear their best red Tech gear Thursday for the annual red out game. 

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 24 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: ESPN+ (HERE)
Radio: 97.7 FM | LA Tech Sports Network (HERE)
Stats: LATechSports.com (HERE)
Tickets: Get your Tickets (HERE)
Promotions: RED OUT GAME

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (15-10, 7-7 C-USA)
Louisiana Tech has now won seven of their last ten games after splitting a Texas road pair with a win in El Paso (77-60) over UTEP before falling at UTSA (59-49).
 
The Techsters are one game behind Southern Miss and North Texas in the conference USA West Division standings with four games left play. Three of those four are at home over the final two weeks of the regular season.
 
Keiunna Walker poured in a career-high 32 points in the win over UTEP and added 15 points at UTSA to extend her double figures scoring streak to 26 games. Walker is now the only player in C-USA to score in double figures in every game this season. 

The junior from Lonoke, Ark. now sits at No. 33 on the all-time career scoring list for the Techsters with 1,234 career points passing Shan Moore last weekend and needs just 13 points to pass Erica Smith-Taylor for No. 32.
 
Anna Larr Roberson collected her eighth double-double of the season, 15^th of her career, at UTEP with 18 points and 11 rebounds and extended her double figures scoring streak to 18 straight games after adding 13 against UTSA.
 
Roberson (13.6 ppg) currently leads conference USA in free-throw percentage (.863) and has now hit 37 of her last 39 attempts. She also ranks No. 2 in rebounds at 8.8 per game and is second in double-doubles. 
 
The Lady Techsters continue to be one of the top defensive teams in conference USA ranking No. 3 in scoring defense (58.7 ppg) and No. 4 in turnovers forced (18.9 tfpg). 
 
The Techsters are averaging 66.0 ppg this season on 41.8 percent shooting (No. 3 in C-USA) and rank as the No. 1 team in conference USA in free-throw percentage (.770). 

ABOUT RICE (10-11, 5-8 C-USA)
Rice comes into Ruston riding a three-game win streak and after starting conference play 0-5, are now just 2.5 games out of the West lead. 
 
Rice beat UAB (81-76) and FIU (73-67) at home followed by another win over UAB (60-55) earlier this week on the road in Birmingham. Their last four conference wins have all been decided by six point or less. 
 
Rice won their first C-USA game of the season at home versus the Techsters (72-64) back on Jan. 27. 
 
The Owls are led by a pair of double-digit scorers in sophomore forward Ashlee Austin (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and freshman forward Malia Fisher (10.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg). 
 
Austin has scored in double figures in eight of her last nine games and has two 30-point performances to her name this season. She is fifth in the conference in scoring and field-goal percentage (.494. 
 
Fisher ranks No. 5 in rebounds and No. 6 in blocked shots per game (1.3 bpg) and has five double-doubles this season including an 18-point, 17 rebound performance against FIU that earned her C-USA Freshman of the Week honors, her third of the year.
 
Rice is averaging 65.4 ppg this season on 40.4 percent shooting while giving up 67.1 ppg on the defensive end at a 40.8 percent clip.

THE SERIES
Louisiana Tech and Rice will meet for the 31st time in women's basketball with the all-time series even at 15-15 after Rice beat the Techsters earlier this season in Houston. 
 
Tech is 10-3 all time in games played in Ruston but Rice has now won seven straight in the series including the last two in Ruston. 
 
Tech's last win over the Owls came in 2017-18 in Houston, the same year as their last win at home over Rice. 
 
The Lady Techsters and the Owls have had four contests decided in overtime with Rice claiming three of the four games.

TICKETS
To purchase tickets, visit LATechSports.com/tickets or call the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631. The box office at the TAC opens 90 minutes before tip-off.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Lady Techsters Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechWBB), Instagram (@LATechWBB), and Facebook.com/LATechWBB.