LOUISIANA TECH 2025-26 BULLDOG BASKETBALL
All home games CAPS | All times CST and subject to change ^ LA Tech MTE | * CUSA game | $ Huntsville, Ala.
A LA TECH WIN... • Would give the Bulldogs their first conference tournament title since 1991 when they claimed the America South title. That was the last time LA Tech reached the NCAA Tournament. • Would give the Bulldogs their fifth consecutive victory. LA Tech has had at least one winning streak of at least five games every season dating back to 2009. • Would give the Bulldogs their third neutral site victory this season. In the Talvin Hester era, LA Tech is 8-3 in neutral site games.
@LATECHHOOPS
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 207
VS #6 KENNESAW STATE OWLS (20-13) Head Coach: Antoine Pettway Record at KSU: 54-43 (3rd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. LA Tech: 3-1
AP Poll: NR Coaches Poll: NR NET Ranking: 166
BULLDOG STORYLINES & PROJECTED STARTERS
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• No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech will face No. 6 seed Kennesaw State Saturday in the Conference USA Basketball Championship title game at VBC Propst Arena. LA Tech finished the season with 11-9 conference record, tying for third in the league standings. The Bulldogs have finished in the top three in eight of their 13 seasons in CUSA.
• With the win over MSU, LA Tech registered its 20th victory of the season. This marked the 12th time in the last 14 seasons that the Bulldogs have recorded 20+ wins (31st overall). • The Bulldogs are playing their best basketball of the season, having won four straight (all in March) and six of their last eight. During LA Tech’s four-game winning streak, they have trailed for only 12 minutes and four seconds of the 160 total game minutes. • LA Tech has dominated the glass most of the season, outrebounding 22 of its 33 opponents (outrebounded Missouri State 34-29). The team came into the tournament ranked top 50 in the nation in several rebounding categories including rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, and rebounding margin. Offensively, the paint has been a place where the Bulldogs have thrived. LA Tech is averaging 33.2 paint points per game, having scored 30+ points 24 times. In the last five contests, the ‘Dogs have outscored their opponents 160-88.
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12.2 ppg | 2.8 rpg | 5.9 apg
DJ DUDLEY
• LA Tech punched its ticket to the title game of the 2026 Air National Guard Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship with a hardfought 69-66 semifinal victory over Missouri State on Friday. The Bulldogs took their largest lead of the game at 57-49 with 7:15 to play. However, the Bears stayed within striking distance, ultimately getting the deficit down to one with 42 seconds remaining. But the Bulldogs stayed calm under pressure. Avery Thomas II flew in for the tip-in to make it 67-64 and Kaden Cooper calmly sank two free throws to keep the lead at three. MSU had one more attempt to tie the game, but its missile pass to midcourt was deflected and ended up in the hands of Thomas II to send the Bulldogs into the championship game.
AJ BATES
• With the narrow victory over No. 9 seed Missouri State, LA Tech advanced to the CUSA Tournament finals for the first time since 2022 (third overall). The Bulldogs are in search of their first ever CUSA Tournament championship and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1991.
14.0 ppg | 2.8 rpg | 1.9 apg
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Overall: 20-13 | CUSA: 11-9 | H: 14-3 | A: 4-10 | N: 2-0 NOVEMBER MEDIA W/L SCORE 4 at Nevada MWN L 50-77 9 LYON COLLEGE ESPN+ W 93-35 15 JACKSON STATE ESPN+ W 68-51 19 at Indiana State ESPN+ L 51-60 26 INDIANA STATE^ ESPN+ W 75-73 29 ALCORN STATE^ ESPN+ W 83-58 DECEMBER 3 at Georgia Southern ESPN+ L 69-77 7 ECCLESIA COLLEGE ESPN+ W 89-37 13 UL-LAFAYETTE ESPN+ W 65-44 17 at Tulane ESPN+ L 53-61 22 DALLAS CHRISTIAN ESPN+ W 90-37 29 UTEP* ESPN+ W 75-63 JANUARY 2 at Middle Tennessee* ESPN+ L 51-88 4 at WKU* ESPN+ L 61-66 8 LIBERTY* CBS SN L 56-72 10 DELAWARE* ESPN+ W 70-68OT 14 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPN+ W 59-58 17 at Jacksonville State* ESPN+ L 60-64 23 KENNESAW STATE* ESPN+ W 82-76 28 at UTEP* ESPN+ W 69-59 31 at Sam Houston* ESPN2 L 67-83 FEBRUARY 4 NEW MEXICO STATE* ESPN+ L 63-72 7 SAM HOUSTON* ESPN+ W 87-78 12 at Missouri State* CBS SN W 79-782OT 14 at FIU* ESPN+ L 64-77 18 JACKSONVILLE STATE* ESPN+ W 77-71 21 at Kennesaw State* ESPN+ L 55-58 26 MISSOURI STATE* ESPN+ W 72-70 28 FIU* ESPN+ L 76-84 MARCH 5 at Liberty* ESPN+ W 76-71 7 at Delaware* ESPN+ W 81-38 12 vs. Middle Tennessee$ ESPN+ W 80-69 13 vs. Missouri State$ CBS SN W 69-66 14 vs. Kennesaw State$ CBS SN 7:30 p.m.
Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 77-53 (4th year) Career Record: Same Record vs. KSU: 1-3
JAYLEN FENNER
2025-26 SCHEDULE
#4 LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (20-13)
5.5 ppg | 2.8 rpg | 1.0 spg
• The Bulldog defense came into the tournament ranking top 10 in the country in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. In its two tourney games, LA Tech is holding its opponents to 67.5 points on 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.1 percent from three.
AVERY 5 THOMAS II
DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 14 | 7:30 p.m. CT LOCATION: VBC Propst Arena (Huntsville, Ala.) SERIES HISTORY: Kennesaw State, 3-1 STREAK: KSU, 1 LAST MEETING: Feb. 21, 2026 | Kennesaw, Ga. Kennesaw State 58, LA Tech 55 MEDIA: CBS Sports Network TALENT: Jordan Kent (pxp), Mike O’Donnell (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app TALENT: Kyle Schassburger (pxp) STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
GAME 34 MATCHUP
• AJ Bates was sensational again, scoring a game-high 27 points to go along with six assists. The Honorable Mention All-CUSA selection has played all 80 minutes, averaging 28.0 points while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range, and 84 percent from the foul line. The floor general is also averaging 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals. • DJ Dudley, a Third Team All-CUSA honoree and LA Tech’s leading scorer at 14.0 points per contest, tallied 10 points versus the Bears. He is averaging 13.0 points during the CUSA Tournament, having made 11 of his 21 field goal attempts. The sharpshooter anchors the team’s perimeter attack, knocking down 59 three-pointers.
9.1 ppg | 7.1 rpg | 1.2 spg
MELIAN 21 MARTINEZ
GAMEDAY INFO
• Avery Thomas II tallied seven points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The forward is averaging a double-double in the CUSA Tournament with 11.0 points and 10.5 boards per game. • Talvin Hester is in his fourth season at the helm at LA Tech. He has now guided the Bulldogs to three straight 20+ win seasons, tying for the third most by a head coach in program history. He is the fourth head coach to do it in three consecutive season. He now has 77 career wins, the eighth most victories as a head coach in program history.
@LATECHHOOPS
4.2 ppg | 3.0 rpg | 1.7 bpg
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