RUSTON – Louisiana Tech heads to Frisco, Texas as the No. 3 seed out of the West for the Conference USA Tournament. The Bulldogs will face the winner of FIU and Marshall in the second round Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT on Court B at the Ford Center at The Star.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 9 | 6 p.m. CT
Location: Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas)
TV/Stream: ESPN+ (
HERE)
Radio: 107.5 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com (
HERE)
ABOUT WEST NO. 3 SEED LOUISIANA TECH (21-9)
LA Tech closed out the regular season with an 87-74 loss at UAB this past Saturday. After six ties and eight lead changes in the first half, the Bulldogs were never able to take the lead in the second half as the Blazers outscored them, 48-38, in the stanza.
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., a First Team All-Conference USA selection, registered 20 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. It was his 16th double-double of the season (10th most in the country) and the seventh time this season he has posted a 20/10 game. He also anchored the team with four assists.
Cobe Williams had 11 points against the Blazers, reaching double figures for the 17th time in the last 22 games. The point guard was voted All-Conference USA Honorable Mention and was named to the C-USA All-Defensive Team for a second year in a row.
Over the last five games, the foursome of Lofton, Jr., Williams,
Amorie Archibald and
Keaston Willis are each shooting over 46 percent from the field and have accounted for 71.5 percent of the team's scoring. Williams and Willis have combined to make 26 three-pointers during the stretch heading into postseason.
The Bulldogs are 7-7 all-time in the C-USA Tournament, having reached at least the quarterfinals in every appearance (and the semifinals four times including last season). They have won at least one game in the tournament in six of the seven trips.
ABOUT EAST NO. 6 SEED FIU (15-16)/EAST NO. 7 SEED MARSHALL (11-20)
FIU heads into the tournament having lost four straight with two of those coming to Florida Atlantic this past week. The Panthers rank first in the league and top 20 in the country in three-point field goal attempts as well as total three-pointers made. They are averaging the most made threes per game during league play at nearly nine a game.
FIU is anchored by Third Team All-Conference USA selection Tevin Brewer who is averaging 14.9 points per contest. He has also totaled 165 assists on the season, which is the second most in C-USA and ranks 16th in the country.
Marshall heads to Frisco having lost three straight, two of those coming this past week to WKU. Offensively, the Thundering Herd average 74.2 points while ranking 50th in the country in three-point attempts. Defensively, they are top 30 in the country in blocks per game at 4.9.
The Herd are led by Second Team All-Conference USA honoree Taevion Kinsey who is averaging 18.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES
LA Tech leads the all-time series with FIU, 9-7. The Bulldogs have won three straight, including an 86-82 victory in Miami about a month ago. They needed 56 second-half points to come away with their first victory in Miami since 2000. The two teams have never faced off in the C-USA Tournament.
LA Tech also leads the all-time series with Marshall, 9-5. The Bulldogs opened C-USA play this season against the Thundering Herd in Ruston, winning 79-56. The two teams have played each other just once in the C-USA Tournament back in 2017. They were scheduled to face off in the quarterfinals in 2020 before the tournament was canceled.
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