RUSTON – Louisiana Tech overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half and then outscored WKU, 11-0, in overtime to take an 85-74 victory on Thursday night inside the Thomas Assembly on Karl Malone Court.
It was a near flawless five minutes of extra time for LA Tech (11-8, 4-4 C-USA). The Bulldogs made five of their seven shot attempts, getting scoring from four different players.
Breaking the 74-74 tie was
Jordan Crawford who got the rebound on his own miss only to make a tough layup in traffic while drawing the foul. It was one of several great plays by the freshman, who ignited for 11 points and six assists off the bench.
Next was
Isaiah Crawford who drained back-to-back contested jumpers, one from beyond the arc and the other just inside it, to go up 81-74 and force a timeout by the Hilltoppers.
Then came Darvon Mangum with the hustle play, getting the offensive board and the easy putback. And finally,
Cobe Williams, who finished with a game-high 20 points, put the finishing touches on OT with a deep two for the bucket.
And on the defensive end, they held WKU (11-8, 3-5 C-USA) to zero points on seven field goal attempts.
The Hilltoppers started off cold as well, making just three of their first 12 field goals as the Bulldogs built an early 18-11 lead. But the visiting got warmer and warmer, eventually taking a 49-37 advantage after erupting for a 12-0 run early in the second half.
LA Tech needed to cool them off again, and it finally came with 13:15 remaining in the game. The 'Dogs went on an 18-2 run over a five-minute stretch, getting 14 of those points from
Cobe Williams and
Isaiah Crawford.
The home team found themselves in a similar situation as last Saturday, up 72-65 with 3:34 to play. The Hilltoppers fired off a 7-0 run to tie it. LA Tech got the go-ahead bucket from a putback by
Kenny Hunter with 14 seconds to go, but WKU's Dayvion McKnight ultimately send it to overtime with two made free throws.
Joining
Cobe Williams and
Jordan Crawford in double figures were
Isaiah Crawford (13), Mangum (10), and Hunter (10). The Bulldogs shot 50.7 percent from the field for the game, sinking 14 three-pointers.
Jamarion Sharp was the lead Hilltopper with 15 points and 11 rebounds. McKnight added 12 as WKU shot 41.3 percent from the field.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
"So excited that our guys fought. When we got down 12, I told our tell that I was going to just play the five guys that wanted to fight and value the defensive end of the floor. We made a couple of adjustments. I gave Isaiah [Crawford] a chance to get his mojo back. He came up big on offense, and did a good job of containing [Jamarion] Sharp down the stretch."
"
Kenny Hunter sprinting down the floor and getting a tip-in was big. It was an extra effort play that put us up. We ended up fouling and they made two to send it to overtime, but those are the kind of plays you need to make to be great. I encouraged the team that we got to play for five more minutes. I did not want that down feeling in the huddle. And we played extremely well in overtime."
Cobe Williams
"I did to know we held them to zero points in overtime [until after the game]. We do not like losing at home. The whole team gave a great effort. I am proud of the guys."
NOTABLES
- With the 84-75 win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series over WKU, 21-20. It is the first time the Bulldogs have held the series advantage since 1994.
- The Bulldogs have now won five straight over the Hilltoppers, the longest streak ever for them in the series that dates back to 1928.
- LA Tech has now won eight straight over WKU in Ruston.
- LA Tech improved to 7-0 this season when wearing their white uniforms.
- The Bulldogs are 2-1 this season in overtime games.It is their most overtime games since the 2018-19 season. They are now 18-6 all-time in OT games played in the TAC.
- LA Tech made 14 three-pointers, the second most in a single game this season and tied for the second most ever in a C-USA game.
- Cobe Williams registered his seventh 20-point scoring game of the season with a game-high 20 points. It is the first time in his career he has had back-to-back 20-point scoring performances.
- Cobe Williams moved up to 37th on the all-time career scoring list, passing Jerry Lovett (1948-52) and George Latham (1946-50). He now has 1,092 career points.
- Jordan Crawford reached double-digit points for the first time in a C-USA game, scoring 11. He has had a team-high six assists, marking the eighth time this season with at least five in a single game.
- Keaston Willis knocked down three three-pointers, giving him 51 for the season and 266 for his career. He has made at least three triples 50 times in his collegiate career.
- Dravon Mangum got his sixth start of the season, almost notching a double-double with 10 points and a season-high nine rebounds.
- Kenny Hunter made the second start of his career (and the first of this season), hitting double-digit points for a fifth time with 10 points.
UP NEXT
LA Tech closes out its three-game home stand on Saturday, Jan. 21 against Middle Tennessee. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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