LOUISIANA TECH 2023-24 BULLDOG BASKETBALL GAME 27 MATCHUP
GAMEDAY INFO DATE/TIME: Thursday, Feb. 22 | 8 p.m. CT LOCATION: Don Haskins Center (El Paso, Texas) SERIES HISTORY: LA Tech leads, 19-14 STREAK: LA Tech, 2 LAST MEETING: Jan. 25, 2024 | Ruston, La. LA Tech 68, UTEP 54 MEDIA: ESPN+ TALENT: Mando Medina (pxp), Hooper Vint (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app TALENT: Malcolm Butler (pxp) STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
2023-24 SCHEDULE MEDIA MWN ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ MWN
Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 33-26 (2nd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. UTEP: 2-1
AT UTEP MINERS (13-13, 4-7 cusa) Head Coach: Joe Golding Record at UTEP: 47-45 (3rd year) Career Record: 205-189 (13th year) Record vs. LA Tech: 2-3
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 85
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 213
BULLDOG STORYLINES
Overall: 18-8 | CUSA: 8-3 | H: 13-1 | A: 5-7 | 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
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (18-8, 8-3 cusa)
W/L L W W W W W L
SCORE 73-81 100-43 73-63 67-53 71-62 105-65 65-74
• Louisiana Tech begins a three-game road stretch on Thursday night versus UTEP inside the Don Haskins Center. The Bulldogs will play three road games in the span of seven days. • After winning both league games this past week, the Bulldogs remain tied with Sam Houston atop the CUSA standings with five games remaining while WKU is half a game back. • LA Tech swept the season series with FIU, winning 75-68 this past Saturday inside the Thomas Assembly Center. It was a big first half that was the difference as the Bulldogs shot 60.9 percent from the field, 71.4 percent from three, and 90.9 percent from the foul line through the first 20 minutes. What was a 43-26 halftime lead was whittled down to single digits, but LA Tech held on for the victory to improve to 13-1 at home.
DECEMBER 2 NICHOLLS ESPN+ W 68-55 5 at Stephen F. Austin ESPN+ W 56-49 9 UL-LAFAYETTE ESPN+ W 72-67 12 SOUTHEASTERN ESPN+ W 89-60 16 at Saint Louis ESPN+ L 74-75 20 at Seattle U ESPN+ L 73-79OT 30 at Grand Canyon ESPN+ L 70-73
• Having to play without key starters Daniel Batcho and Sean Newman Jr., LA Tech ended up having its ninth different starting lineup this season. Batcho has missed the last two games while Newman Jr. went down with an injury late in the first half against Jax State.
JANUARY 3 DALLAS CHRISTIAN ESPN+ W 96-55 6 at Sam Houston* ESPN+ L 77-81 11 at Middle Tennessee* CBS SN W 60-52 14 LIBERTY* ESPN2 W 80-76OT 20 at Jacksonville State* ESPN+ W 74-57 25 UTEP* ESPN+ W 68-54 27 NEW MEXICO STATE* ESPN+ W 73-53
• LA Tech outrebounded FIU, 39-29, marking the 19th time (out of 26 games) this season they have outrebounded its opponent. The Bulldogs also pulled down double-digit offensive boards (13) for the 20th time. They currently rank second in CUSA and top 50 in the country in rebounds per game (38.85) and rebounding margin (5.8).
FEBRUARY 1 at FIU* ESPN+ W 93-53 7 WKU* ESPN+ L 76-81 10 at Liberty* ESPNU L 62-65 15 JACKSONVILLE STATE* ESPN+ W 63-58 17 FIU* ESPN+ W 75-68 22 at UTEP* ESPN+ 8 p.m. 24 at New Mexico State* ESPN+ 8 p.m. 28 at WKU* ESPN+ 7 p.m.
• LA Tech held FIU to 36.7 percent shooting from the field, the 16th time this season holding an opponent to under 40 percent which is tied for the most in the country with App State, Auburn, Cal State Northridge, UConn, and Houston. The Bulldogs rank seventh in the country in field goal percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot just 38.9 percent.
• Isaiah Crawford led the Bulldogs in scoring for a 10th time this season, netting a gamehigh 24 points after going 7-of-8 from the field, 3-of-3 from three, and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. It marked his 20th 20+ scoring performance of the season. He continues to pace the Bulldogs offensively, averaging 16.0 points per game (17.5 points in league play) while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. • Tahlik Chavez recorded 22 points versus the Panthers, his sixth game this season of 20+ points. He went 3-of-4 from behind the arc, the 15th time this season making at least three triples in a single game. He is shooting a CUSA-best 42.1 percent from three which ranks 16th in the country. The guard is averaging 15.9 points per game during CUSA play. • Isaiah Crawford had another strong defensive effort, registering four blocks and two steals versus FIU. The forward has 46 blocks and 59 steals this season, the only player in the country with at least 40 blocks and 50 steals (has 10 blocks and 11 steals in last three games). He ranks 17th in the country in steals per game (2.27) and 52nd in blocks per game (1.77).
MARCH 7 SAM HOUSTON* CBS SN 8 p.m. 9 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPN+ 2 p.m. • Would give the Bulldogs their third straight win over the Miners. On four different occa12 CUSA Championship$ ----- TBA sions, LA Tech has strung together three straight victories over UTEP (most recently 2017-18).
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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• Would give the Bulldogs their 19th win of the season. LA Tech is close to reaching 20 victories, something the program has done nine times in the last 11 seasons. • Would give the Bulldogs their 7th win against the Miners in the Don Haskins Center. LA Tech is 5-5 versus UTEP in El Paso since becoming CUSA opponents.
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