LOUISIANA TECH 2023-24 BULLDOG BASKETBALL GAME 21 MATCHUP
GAMEDAY INFO DATE/TIME: Saturday, Jan. 25 | 2 p.m. CT LOCATION: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.) SERIES HISTORY: New Mexico State leads, 16-4 STREAK: New Mexico State, 1 LAST MEETING: March 7, 2013 | Las Cruces, N.M. New Mexico State 78, LA Tech 60 MEDIA: ESPN+ TALENT: Lyn Rollins (pxp), Victor Howell (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app TALENT: Malcolm Butler (pxp), Jack Thigpen (analyst) STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
2023-24 SCHEDULE
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (14-6, 4-1 cusa) Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 29-24 (2nd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. NM State: 0-0
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 84
VS new mexico state aggies (9-11, 3-2 cusa) Head Coach: Jason Hooten Record at NM State: 9-11 (1st year) Career Record: 270-180 (14th year) Record vs. LA Tech: 1-1
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 265
BULLDOG STORYLINES
Overall: 14-6 | CUSA: 4-1 | H: 10-0 | A: 4-6 | N: 0-0 NOVEMBER 6 at Colorado State 13 LYON COLLEGE 16 at ULM 21 SOUTHERN UTAH^ 22 MCNEESE STATE^ 25 DILLARD 29 at New Mexico
MEDIA MWN ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ MWN
W/L L W W W W W L
SCORE 73-81 100-43 73-63 67-53 71-62 105-65 65-74
2 NICHOLLS 5 at Stephen F. Austin 9 UL-LAFAYETTE 12 SOUTHEASTERN 16 at Saint Louis 20 at Seattle U 30 at Grand Canyon
ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+
W W W W L L L
68-55 56-49 72-67 89-60 74-75 73-79OT 70-73
6 at Sam Houston* 11 at Middle Tennessee* 14 LIBERTY* 20 at Jacksonville State* 25 UTEP* 27 NEW MEXICO STATE*
ESPN+ L CBS SN W ESPN2 W ESPN+ W ESPN+ W ESPN+
77-81 60-52 80-76OT 74-57 68-54 2 p.m.
1 at FIU* 7 WKU* 10 at Liberty* 15 JACKSONVILLE STATE* 17 FIU* 22 at UTEP* 24 at New Mexico State* 28 at WKU*
ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPNU ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+
6 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m. 2 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 7 p.m.
• Louisiana Tech goes for its fifth straight win this Saturday when they play host to the Aggies of New Mexico State at 2 p.m. inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court. • LA Tech protected home court again on Thursday, pulling away from UTEP to win, 68-54. With the game close at 48-46 with 8:35 remaining, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to improve to 10-0 at home this season. The Bulldogs defense was elite, holding the Miners to 29.5 percent shooting from the field.
• Daniel Batcho flirted with a triple-double versus the Miners, recording 19 points, 12 rebounds, and a career-high seven blocks. It was his CUSA-leading eight double-double while the seven rejections tied for the seventh most in a single game in program history (matched DECEMBER Isaiah Crawford’s seven blocks earlier this year against Liberty). • Tahlik Chavez also played a key role in the win over UTEP, registering 18 points (15 coming in the second half ). In doing so, he eclipsed 1,000 career points for his Division I collegiate career. Nine of his points came from behind the arc, marking the 12th time this season he has made at least three triples in a single game (has done so in six of the last seven).
• LA Tech continues to flex its muscle defensively, ranking No. 1 in conference play in defensive efficiency while ranking in the top 15 in the country in both field goal percentage JANUARY defense (38.9) and scoring defense (63.7). The Bulldogs also rank No. 1 in league action in 3 DALLAS CHRISTIAN ESPN+ W 96-55 offensive efficiency, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 40.0 perfect from three. • The trio of Isaiah Crawford, Daniel Batcho, and Tahlik Chavez have been stellar in CUSA play. All three rank in the top 10 in scoring, averaging a combined 47.6 points per game. All three also rank in the top four in field goal percentage with each shooting over 50 percent.
• Isaiah Crawford continues to be one of the best two-way players in college basketball. On offense, he is averaging a team-best 15.6 points per game (has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 14 games) while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from deep. FEBRUARY Defensively, he is one of only two player in the country with at least 40 steals and 30 blocks. • Isaiah Crawford and Daniel Batcho make up arguably the best frontcourt in CUSA. The duo both rank in the top 10 in the league in points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, and blocks per game, combining for 30.4 points and 15.8 boards per contest as well as 77 blocks (rank 1-2 in field goal percentage and blocks per game). • Going into Saturday’s conference action, the home teams are a combined 20-4 in league play. Two of those road wins have come courtesy of the Bulldogs, winning at Middle Tennessee and at Jacksonville State.
MARCH 7 SAM HOUSTON* CBS SN 8 p.m. 9 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPN+ 2 p.m. 12 CUSA Championship$ ----- TBA • Would improve the Bulldogs home record to 11-0. LA Tech is currently one of 45 teams in
A LA TECH WIN...
All home games CAPS | All times CST and subject to change * Conference USA game ^ LA Tech MTE $ Huntsville, Ala.
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the country still unbeaten at home.
• Would give the Bulldogs their 15th win of the season, which would already match their win total from a season ago when they went 15-18 overall. • Would give the Bulldogs their fifth win all-time versus the Aggies. NM State has had success historically in Ruston, winning four of the last six matchups at the TAC.
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