RUSTON – Louisiana Tech will make its third trip to the state of Texas on Thursday for a conference battle against UTSA at 6 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
The matchup will be televised on ESPNU and carried online through the Watch ESPN platform with Pat O'Keefe and King McClure calling the action. Fans can also listen to
Dave Nitz call the game on KXKZ 107.5 FM, KOKA 93.3 FM/980 AM and KJVC 92.7 FM as well as on the LA Tech Athletics app.
LA Tech (11-3, 2-0 C-USA) extended its winning streak to five this past Saturday by overpowering Southern Miss for the second time in six days, winning 78-50 in Ruston.
The Bulldogs forced 21 turnovers (10th time this season forcing 15+) and cashed those in for 27 points. In doing so, they limited the Golden Eagles to 50 points or less for the second time.
Offensively, LA Tech hit 12 three-pointers and got 37 points from its bench. Twenty of those points and four of those made threes came from
Kalob Ledoux who is now leading the team in scoring average at 13.1 points per contest.
It's still scoring by committee as six other players are averaging at least eight points per game –
DaQuan Bracey (12.6),
Amorie Archibald (11.9),
JaColby Pemberton (8.7),
Derric Jean (8.4),
Isaiah Crawford (8.4) and
Mubarak Muhammed (8.2).
The 'Dogs were one of only two C-USA squads (out of 14 games) to win on the road in week one of conference action.
They are currently ranked No. 1 in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 59.6 points per game, as well as No. 1 in field goal percentage defense, giving up just 37.4 percent. Both marks rank in the top 20 in the country.
This defense will be needed against one of the top offenses in the league in UTSA (6-9, 0-2 C-USA). The Roadrunners, picked second in the preseason poll, rank fourth in the conference and 68th in the country in scoring offense, averaging 77.1 points per game.
They have taken 425 three-point attempts this season which ranks 20th in the country. They also rebound the basketball very well, averaging 40.6 boards per game which is tops in the league.
UTSA, who is 5-1 at home this season, is coming off two losses at Florida Atlantic and FIU to open up conference play. After falling by 15 to the Owls, they were leading late against the Panthers but ended up losing 90-83 in overtime.
The team is spearheaded by Jhivvan Jackson who is a two-time All-Conference USA selection and is currently averaging 25.3 points per game which is the second most in the nation.
LA Tech holds a 12-5 lead in the series against UTSA, but the Roadrunners have won three of the last five meetings. The Bulldogs won the lone contest last season in Ruston, 72-67.
