RUSTON – No. 8 seed Louisiana Tech will make its sixth appearance in the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday night when they battle No. 9 Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. on Court A in the first round at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
 
The matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Ron Thulin and Mike Petersen calling the action.  Fans can also listen to the Voice of the Bulldogs Dave Nitz and Jack Thigpen call the game through the LA Tech Sports Network on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston), KJVC 92.7 FM (Mansfield) and KRMD 100.7 FM/1340 AM as well as on the Louisiana Tech X mobile app.
 
LA Tech (19-12) ended the regular season on a high note, picking up its first conference road win, coming away with a 72-69 victory over FAU (17-14) in Boca Raton.  The Bulldogs built a 10-point lead with a minute to go and hung on for the win. 
 
They will be looking for a repeat performance against the same opponent as this will mark the first time since 2011 that the 'Dogs will take on the same team in back-to-back games.
 
In the last game, the team was very efficient offensively, shooting 48 percent from the field, 53 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the free throw line.
 
Junior guard DaQuan Bracey, who finished with a game-high 21 points at FAU despite foul trouble, has now scored in double figures in 23 of the last 24 games and has posted nine 20+ scoring performances. 
 
Another Bulldog who has been really good offensively as of late is sophomore guard Amorie Archibald who is averaging 18.0 points per game over the last three contests.  During this stretch, he is shooting 56 percent from downtown.  He leads the team in three-pointers made for the season.
 
The three-point shot is something that has been improving for LA Tech as a team, having made at least 10 triples in each of the last three games.
 
Despite the two-game losing streak, Florida Atlantic has clinched its first winning season since 2010-11.  After suffering a loss to LA Tech in their home finale, the Owls ended the regular season with a 76-61 loss at Marshall. 
 
Offensively, FAU has set a program record with 273 made three-pointers.  They have attempted 844 on the season which ranks 30th in the country.  They are also the best free throw shooting team in C-USA at 74.7 percent from the foul line.
 
Defensively, the Owls are still one of the top rebounding teams in the country.  They rank in the top 20 in the nation and No. 1 in the league in rebounds per game (39.7).  They outrebounded the Bulldogs in both meetings this season. 
 
Third team All-Conference USA selection Anthony Adger and Co-Sixth Player of the Year Xavian Stapleton are the two biggest weapons for the Owls, averaging 15.8 and 13.2 points per game respectively.
 
LA Tech is 5-5 all-time in the C-USA Tournament, having reached at least the quarterfinals in all five appearances.  The Bulldogs have won at least one game in the tournament in four of the five seasons.
 
Twitter users can follow @LATechHoops for live in-game updates.