LOUISIANA TECH 2024-25 BULLDOG BASKETBALL
All home games CAPS | All times CST and subject to change # Icons of the Game (Long Island, N.Y.) ^ Gulf Coast Showcase (Estero, Fla.) * Conference USA game | $ Huntsville, Ala.
A LA TECH WIN... • Would give the Bulldogs their 82nd victory in a home CUSA game. LA Tech is 81-18 all-time in such games. • Would give Talvin Hester his 50th career win as head coach. He is 49-32 all-time in his third season with the Bulldogs.
@LATECHHOOPS
VS LIBERTY FLAMES (14-2, 2-1 cusa) Head Coach: Ritchie McKay Record at Liberty: 258-129 (12th year) Career Record: 423-287 (23rd year) Record vs. LA Tech: 1-1
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 135
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 65
BULLDOG STORYLINES & PROJECTED STARTERS
• LA Tech claimed its first CUSA win of the season on Thursday, defeating FIU by a final score of 81-64. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 25-4 lead and held a 50-27 halftime advantage to help propel them to their fifth straight victory over the Panthers. The team shot 70.0 percent from the field (21-of-30) in the first half (first time shooting at least 70 percent in a half since Jan. 27, 2018 against Southern Miss).
4 SEAN NEWMAN JR.
• Louisiana Tech goes for a home sweep this week as the Bulldogs play host to the Liberty Flames on Saturday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court in the annual “White Out” game. It will be the 100th CUSA game that LA Tech is playing in the TAC (Bulldogs are 81-18 in such games).
9.1 ppg | 2.7 rpg | 9.6 apg
AMAREE ABRAM
• Al Green came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points against FIU, knocking down his first five three-pointers which tied his season high. The junior was able to get out of a shooting slump, having totaled just 30 points and only five triples in the last six games combined. He is now only five points away from 1,000 points for his collegiate career. The bench help has been needed as LA Tech starters have accounted for 76.1 percent of scoring this season (bench is averaging 18.4 points per game).
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• The Bulldogs got back to defending, holding the Panthers to 64 points, their fewest points in the last nine games. Since last season, LA Tech is 28-1 when holding its opponent to less than 70 points (9-0 this season).
12.8 ppg | 4.6 rpg | 1.9 spg
KADEN 11 COOPER
Overall: 12-4 | CUSA: 1-2 | H: 6-1 | A: 2-3 | N: 4-0 NOVEMBER MEDIA W/L SCORE 4 LSU-ALEXANDRIA ESPN+ W 77-50 9 at UT Arlington ESPN+ W 92-77 13 vs. UMass# MSG+ W 76-66 18 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE ESPN+ W 105-67 25 vs. Southern Illinois^ FloCollege W 85-79OT 26 vs. Richmond^ FloCollege W 65-62 27 vs. Eastern Kentucky^ FloCollege W 78-69 30 SOUTHERN ESPN+ L 70-73 DECEMBER 4 at #16 Memphis ESPN+ L 71-81 8 at UL-Lafayette ESPN+ W 69-58 13 GEORGIA SOUTHERN ESPN+ W 77-63 16 GRAND CANYON ESPN+ W 74-66 21 RUST COLLEGE ESPN+ W 108-60 JANUARY 2 at UTEP* ESPN+ L 60-70 4 at New Mexico State* ESPN+ L 48-78 9 FIU* ESPN+ W 81-64 11 LIBERTY* ESPNU 7 p.m. 16 at Jacksonville State* ESPN+ 6 p.m. 18 at Kennesaw State* ESPN+ 4 p.m. 23 WKU* CBS SN 6 p.m. 25 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPNU 5:30 p.m. FEBRUARY 1 SAM HOUSTON* ESPNU 3 p.m. 6 at Liberty* CBS SN 7 p.m. 8 at FIU* ESPN+ 1 p.m. 13 KENNESAW STATE* ESPN+ 6:30 p.m. 15 JACKSONVILLE STATE* ESPN+ 3 p.m. 20 at Middle Tennessee* CBS SN 8 p.m. 22 at WKU* ESPN+ 7 p.m. MARCH 1 at Sam Houston* ESPN+ 4:30 p.m. 6 NEW MEXICO STATE* ESPN+ 6:30 p.m. 8 UTEP* ESPN+ 2 p.m. 11 CUSA Championship$ ----- TBA
Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 49-32 (3rd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. Liberty: 1-1
• Against a pesky FIU defense, Sean Newman Jr. still managed to dish out 13 assists with only two turnovers. It marked the seventh time this season he has had 10+ assists and the fourth time with 12+ (most in the country). In doing so, he became the 15th Bulldog in program history to reach 300 career assists (has already surpassed his assist total of 146 from last season). He continues to rank second in the country in both total assists (154) and assists per game (9.6). • Daniel Batcho was his usual self on offense, going 7-of-8 from the field for 16 points against FIU, bringing his field goal percentage up to 75.7 which leads the country. The CUSA Preseason Player of the Year has now shot at least 80 percent in a game nine times this season and over the last six games is shooting 81.3 percent. He was his usual self on defense as well, tallying two blocks against the Panthers to give him 38 for the season which ranks seventh in the nation. • Kaden Cooper was on the glass again, leading the Bulldogs in rebounding for the 11th time this season with eight boards versus the Panthers. The 6-foot-5 guard has posted at least eight rebounds in 11 games this season and currently ranks top four in CUSA in both total rebounds (123) and rebounds per game (7.7) • Talvin Hester is in his third season at the helm at LA Tech. In his second year, Hester was able to blend in seven newcomers in route to a 22-win season and a second-place finish in CUSA. He will be tasked with the same thing as seven newcomers join the 2024-25 squad, mixed in with six returners (five of which made a combined 67 starts last season). • LA Tech was picked to finish first in the Conference USA preseason poll, as voted on by the league head coaches. It was definitely not unanimous as five of the 10 conference teams picked up at least one first-place vote and the top three were separated by only four points. This marks the first time since 2014 that the Bulldogs are preseason league favorites.
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12.6 ppg |7.7 rpg | 1.8 spg
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2024-25 SCHEDULE
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (12-4, 1-2 cusa)
DEVIN REE
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Jan. 11 | 7 p.m. CT LOCATION: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.) SERIES HISTORY: Tied, 1-1 STREAK: Liberty, 1 LAST MEETING: Feb. 10, 2024 | Lynchburg, Va. Liberty 65, LA Tech 62 MEDIA: ESPNU TALENT: Brock Bowling (pxp), Dean Keener (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
GAME 17 MATCHUP
4.9 ppg | 3.1 rpg | 0.2 spg
DANIEL 13 BATCHO
GAMEDAY INFO
18.1 ppg | 6.5 rpg | 2.4 bpg
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