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 third ever win in the state of Virginia. LA Tech has previously defeated Old Dominion in Norfolk on two occasions. • Would extend the Bulldogs winning streak to four games. LA Tech has had a 4-game and 7-game winning streak this season. • Would give the Bulldogs their 48th Conference USA road win. LA Tech is 47-54 all-time in CUSA road games.
@LATECHHOOPS
AT LIBERTY FLAMES (17-5, 5-4 cusa) Head Coach: Ritchie McKay Record at Liberty: 261-132 (12th year) Career Record: 426-290 (23rd year) Record vs. LA Tech: 1-2
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 121
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 81
BULLDOG STORYLINES & PROJECTED STARTERS
4 SEAN NEWMAN JR.
• Louisiana Tech heads to the back half of the Conference USA schedule, starting with a Thursday night matchup at Liberty. The Bulldogs are in a six-way tie for third in the league standings at the midway point of conference. • LA Tech is still in search for its first conference win on the season, having dropped all four (the last two by two points apiece). Last season, the Bulldogs went 6-2 in league road contests. They are one of three teams yet to win a CUSA road game this season.
10.5 ppg | 2.3 rpg | 9.0 apg
1
• After dropping four of its first six league games, LA Tech took advantage of a three-game home stand by winning all three including a 66-61 overtime victory against Sam Houston this past Saturday. After forcing OT with a late 7-0 run, the ‘Dogs used another 7-0 in the extra frame to pull out the win. The team is 7-3 in OT games under head coach Talvin Hester.
• Sean Newman Jr. registered a game-high 22 points to go along with eight assists versus the Bearkats (has three games this season of 20+ points and 8+ assists). Even though his string of 28 consecutive made free throws ended in the game against Sam Houston, he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line in OT to secure the win. He has now made 33 of his 35 free throw attempts in league play for a conference-best 94.3 percent. The point guard continues to rank second in the country in both total assists (198) and assists per game (9.0). He has dished out at least eight assists in 15 of the 22 games this season. • Daniel Batcho recorded his fifth double-double of the season against Sam Houston with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The nation’s leader in field goal percentage at 71.3 percent has now scored in double figures in 21 of the 22 games this season. The power forward also recorded five blocks versus the Bearkats, giving him 50 for the season which ranks 13th in the country. Over the last seven CUSA games, Batcho is averaging 19.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. • After scoring just five total points in the two games against WKU and Middle Tennessee, Amaree Abram bounced back with 16 points versus Sam Houston while making four of his seven three-point attempts (16th time this season making multiple triples). He anchors the team in three-point field goal percentage (38.5) and three-pointers made (47). • 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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AMAREE ABRAM
• The Bulldogs had arguably their best defensive performance of the season, holding the best three-point shooting team in the league to 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. After going down six with 14:27 left in the second half, LA Tech held Sam Houston to just two made fields the remainder of the stanza. Defensively, the Bulldogs also registered nine steals and seven blocks, both being the most in a CUSA game for LA Tech this season.
12.0 ppg | 4.9 rpg | 1.9 apg
KADEN 11 COOPER
Overall: 16-6 | CUSA: 5-4 | H: 10-1 | A: 2-5 | 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 W 79-74 16 at Jacksonville State* ESPN+ L 61-63 18 at Kennesaw State* ESPN+ L 76-78 23 WKU* CBS SN W 77-67 25 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPNU W 75-69 FEBRUARY 1 SAM HOUSTON* ESPNU W 66-61OT 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: 53-34 (3rd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. Liberty: 2-1
10.9 ppg | 7.7 rpg | 1.5 spg
0
2024-25 SCHEDULE
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (16-6, 5-4 cusa)
DEVIN REE
DATE/TIME: Thursday, Feb. 6 | 7 p.m. CT LOCATION: Liberty Arena (Lynchburg, Va.) SERIES HISTORY: LA Tech leads, 2-1 STREAK: LA Tech, 1 LAST MEETING: Jan. 11, 2025 | Ruston, La. LA Tech 79, Liberty 74 MEDIA: CBS Sports Network TALENT: Dave Ryan (pxp), Tarik Turner (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
GAME 23 MATCHUP
5.0 ppg | 3.4 rpg | 0.3 spg
DANIEL 13 BATCHO
GAMEDAY INFO
18.8 ppg | 7.1 rpg | 2.3 bpg
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