GameDay Central | Game Notes

RUSTON ÃÆ'¢Ã¢'¬" Louisiana Tech continues its participation in the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational as it makes the easiest road trip of the season, by far, down I-20 (or West Alabama Avenue if one desires) to take on Grambling State on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

After grabbing two home victories to start the season, LA Tech (2-0) will face its first road challenge even if it is in the same parish.

The Bulldogs got to two wins by storming back to down UT Arlington last Tuesday by a score of 80-68. Down by 12 points with about 15 minutes left to go in the game, the 'Dogs ended up outscoring the Mavericks, 44-20, the rest of the way to ultimately win by 12.

Four players wound up in double figures, including redshirt junior Erik McCree, who leads the team in scoring so far with an average of 18.5 points per game.

While LA Tech will be playing for the first time in a different arena this season, there will also be three Bulldogs playing in their very first game. Sophomores Jacobi Boykins and Joniah White and Alcorn State transfer LeAntwan Luckett are gladly trading in their sweat suits for jerseys since they are now eligible.

""The team has done a nice job of staying focused on improving each day as individuals and as a group," head coach Eric Konkol said. "This will be the first road game for several of our players so there is anticipation and excitement for the challenge ahead.

"Jacobi, Joniah and LeAntwan add unique skill sets to our game day roster and the added depth is a big plus. We want to play with great energy and effort and these three will help us do that."

Coming off a 2-27 season, Grambling State (1-3) is showing signs of improvement under head coach Shawn Walker. The Tigers have been on the road all season, playing at East Carolina, Mid-Atlantic Christian, Ohio State and Memphis in the span of seven days.

GSU was able to come away with one victory, but were also competitive in the season opener at ECU, losing by eight, and at Memphis where they were down only four at halftime. Freshman guard Nigel Riberio leads the team in scoring with an average of 11.3 points per game.

"Grambling is very well coached and plays extremely hard," Konkol said. "They have played well this season as have teams in their league. In our preparation, we try to focus on what our opponent does well and what we need to do to play our best."

LA Tech leads the all-time series over Grambling State, 2-0. The crosstown foes played a home-and-home series in 2008.

The first ever meeting came inside the Hobdy Assembly Center with the Bulldogs surviving in overtime, 80-74. The two met in the TAC almost three weeks later and it was a different story as LA Tech cruised to a 30-point victory.

Fans can access live audio of the game via the Internet by subscribing to LA Tech All-Access at LATechSports.com. The contest can be heard live on the LA Tech Sports Network on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston) and KRMD 1340 AM (Shreveport). Kyle Roberts will call the play-by-play and Jack Thigpen will provide analysis.

Twitter users can also receive live in-game updates by following @LATechHoops.