RUSTON – Louisiana Tech picked up its fourth straight win on Tuesday night, leading wire-to-wire for an 89-60 victory over Southeastern inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
 
LA Tech (9-2) was dominant for 40 minutes.  On offense, they drained a season-high 14 three-pointers led by Tahlik Chavez who continued to stay hot by knocking down six triples in route to a game-high 22 points.  And on defense, they held their eighth opponent of the season to under 38 percent shooting.
 
The Bulldogs jumped all over the Lions, starting the game on an 8-0 run, including threes by Chavez and Isaiah Crawford, which quickly forced a timeout by SLU (2-8). 
 
The Lions tried to hang around, keeping their deficit in the single digits at 24-15 after a three-point play by Avery Wilson with 9:30 to go in the first half.  However, back-to-back threes by Chavez and Devin Ree made a double-digit advantage again for LA Tech, something that would stay that way for the remainder.
 
Crawford drained his third three-pointer of the night, this one from the logo with 27 seconds left, to give the 'Dogs a 44-27 edge at halftime.  And the home team kept their foot on the gas in the second half with Chavez hitting three more triples in the first five minutes of the stanza. 
 
LA Tech shot 46.3 percent from the field (31-67), 53.8 percent from beyond the arc (14-26), and 72.2 percent from the foul line (13-18).  Crawford tallied 14 points to go along with seven boards, four assists, four steals, and two blocks.  Tyler Henry was the third Bulldog in double figures with 11 points.
 
Dravon Mangum flirted with a double-double with nine points and eight boards while Daniel Batcho added nine points and six boards of his own.  Also getting in on the action was Sean Newman Jr., making his return to the court after missing three games due to an ankle injury, scoring eight points plus five assists.
 
SLU shot 37.7 percent from the field (23-61), getting a team-high 16 points from Alec Woodard and 13 points from Nick Caldwell.  
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
 
Opening statement …
"The emphasis was on our defense and playing for 40 minutes.  We have had an issue coming out slow in the second half, letting teams eliminate leads on us.  Another thing was not closing out games the right way, missing free throws, taking errant shots that we should not take.  I thought we did everything right tonight.  There were times that Southeastern hit some shots, but this is Division I basketball, you are not going to hold a team to nothing.  They are a good team."
 
On having Sean Newman Jr. back …
"The ball movement was great.  He is so steady and so solid.  At the end of the day, he made the right decisions.  He makes us a better basketball team."
 
On the buy-in on defense …
"When you do things the right way and the wins start stacking up, the team starts believing not in the system but in themselves.  That is what is happening now.  They are excited about being one of the best defensive teams.  They are excited about the wins that come with it.  We have a heck of a team."
 
On the three-point shooting …
"I knew Tahlik would start making them.  You cannot keep a shooter like him from making shots.  We have good shooters.  We just got open shots tonight.  A lot of them were in transition, a lot were when we got paint touches and moved the ball.  The testament of our three-point shooting was our ball movement.  We made the next right pass."
 
On being undefeated at home …
"You have to win home games.  If you do not win home games, you are not going to give yourself a chance.  It is so hard to win on the road.  Champions win on the road."
 
On how well-rounded the team is …
"The strength of our team is our team.  Our depth has helped us.  When Sean was out, we did not lose a beat.  When Tyler was out, we did not lose a beat.  We can come at you in a lot of ways.  The guys are bought in and they believe what we are doing."
 
Sean Newman Jr.
 
On being back on the court …
"It felt great.  Blessed to be back out on the floor.  I was itching to get back out there.  Our athletic trainers, our coaching staff, they instilled the confidence in me.  And my teammates who believe and trust in me.  The game definitely looks slower when you are watching from the sidelines.  You are seeing the things coaches are saying in practice.  There were a number of things I learned while watching."
 
On Tahlik Chavez …
"I am happy for him.  He puts in the work.  I am there when he is struggling and when he is hot."
 
On the defensive identity of the team …
"You just have to buy in.  If you want to win a championship, we have to buy in to what the coaches are saying."
 
On the team continuing to win in your absence …
"I am very proud.  They played some really tough opponents.  First a Nicholls team that beat LSU at LSU.  Then SFA who was a super tough team.  And then Lafayette, rival.  I am super proud of the team for holding it down."
 
NOTABLES

• With the win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series over Southeastern, 45-18. The Bulldogs have won four straight over the Lions.
• The Bulldogs have now won 23 consecutive games against the Lions at home, including a perfect 5-0 mark in the TAC.
• LA Tech improved to 9-2 on the season, its best start since 2015.
• The Bulldogs went a perfect 6-0 against in-state opponents this season, defeating ULM, McNeese State, Dillard, Nicholls, UL-Lafayette, and SLU.
• LA Tech remains perfect at home this season with a 7-0 record.
• The Bulldogs made a season-high 14 three-pointers while also shooting a season-best 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. It marked the first time since Jan. 8, 2022 that the 'Dogs made at least 14 threes while shooting at least 50 percent from deep (ninth time in the last 10 years).
• LA Tech pulled down 44 rebounds, the fourth straight game they have registered 40+ boards (sixth time overall this season).
• The Bulldogs posted 11 steals, reaching double figures in this category for the fourth time this season.
• LA Tech held SLU to just 37.7 percent shooting from the field, marking the eighth time in 11 games they have held its opponent to under 38 percent shooting.
• The Bulldogs led wire to wire for the third time this season.
• Tahlik Chavez tallied a game-high 22 points, notching his third game of 20+ points (all coming in the last four games).
• Tahlik Chavez knocked down a season-high six three-pointers, the first Bulldog to hit at least six threes in a single game since Nov. 23, 2022. It marked the 10th time in his career with at least six made triples.
• Isaiah Crawford recorded four steals, extending his streak of games with at least one steal to 14. It marked the 12th time in his career (second consecutive game) with at least four steals. He now has 144 for his career, tied for the 10th most in program history.
• Dravon Mangum tallied a team-high eight rebounds, marking the third time this season leading the squad on the boards.
• Sean Newman Jr. made his return after missing the last three games due to injury. He tallied a team-high five assists, marking the fifth time this season with at least five dimes.

UP NEXT
LA Tech will begin a three-game road stretch starting on Saturday, Dec. 16 at Saint Louis.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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