FRISCO, Texas – Six days ago in Ruston, Louisiana Tech outlasted FIU in overtime.
The two teams needed another five minutes in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament to decide the winner. And again, it was the Bulldogs who prevailed, taking it 81-76 over the Panthers on Wednesday night at the Ford Center at The Star.
I suppose it only made since for the game to go to extras. It is something LA Tech (15-17) has grown accustomed to this season, playing in its program-record sixth overtime contest.
And despite seeing a 20-point second half lead disappear, the 'Dogs (who let the Panthers chaos get to them down the stretch of regulation) were poised in that final five minutes.
Before getting there though,
Keaston Willis and
Isaiah Crawford were making big-time shots and big-time plays. Playing for practically the entire game, the duo combined for 45 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists.
It was a jumper in the paint by Isaiah that gave the Bulldogs their largest lead at 45-25 with 17:27 left in the second half. But, with the way FIU (14-18) forces turnovers and speeds up the game, they are never out of it. And they were not on Court A.
Their all-league duo of Denver Jones and Arturo Dean combined for 46 points, and after trailing for almost the entire game tied it up at 65-65 with 2:01 to go in regulation. Trailing by four in the closing seconds, it was John Williams, Jr. though who tied it up again at 69-69 and forced OT after a layup and two clutch free throws.
The Panthers took their first lead of the game since the 15:17 mark in the first half when Dean opened the OT scoring with a turnaround jumper.
After Isaiah tied the game up for a fifth time with two made free throws, it was the unsung hero,
Quandre Bullock, who provided the spark for the Bulldogs. After scoring just two points in regulation, he went on an 8-0 run by himself, including a massive corner triple.
FIU was able to force overtime after an incredible offensive display in the second half, shooting 64.0 percent (made 16 of its 25 shot attempts). But, the Bulldogs kept them at bay in overtime as the Panthers made just three of their 10 field goal attempts.
Willis picked a good time to record his first career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Crawford added 22 points while
Dravon Mangum too picked up a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. Bullock added 10.
LA Tech advances to face No. 2 seed North Texas in the quarterfinals.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
"I am really proud of this team. We have been through a lot this year. We have some great upperclassmen that stepped up for us. We talked about being tough all week, being tough down the stretch. I felt like we were confident down the stretch even though we faced some adversity. I cannot say enough about Keaston [Willis] and Isaiah [Crawford]. They started us off the right. We understand it is just one game. We have another one now to prepare for."
"We figured FIU would make a run. We knew both of these teams could score points fast. They have a first team all-league guy [in Denver Jones] who is one of the best shooters in the conference. Their pressure caused us some problems when
Jordan Crawford fouled out. It took a ball handler away from us. At the end of the day, we did some tough things. We knocked down free throws late. We got offensive rebounds and second-chance points. More than anything, we did not hang our heads when we went to overtime. We did the best we could in those five minutes."
Guard Keaston Willis
"I wanted to lead and be a guy the team could look to. Things did get chaotic towards the end. FIU thrives in a chaotic environment. They turned me over a lot, but ultimately we stayed poised."
NOTABLES
- With the 81-76 win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series over FIU, 11-8.
- The Bulldogs improved to 11-8 in Conference USA Tournament games. They have won at least one game in eight of the nine C-USA tournaments they have played in.
- LA Tech has now advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament every time they have played in it.
- The Bulldogs played their sixth overtime game of the season, the most in program history. They are tied with two other teams (Wisconsin and Texas A&M-Commerce) for the most OT games played this season. It was the second time ever that the 'Dogs played an OT game in the C-USA Tournament.
- Keaston Willis tied his season high with 23 points. It also tied for the most points by a Bulldog in a C-USA Tournament game.
- Keaston Willis recorded the first double-double of his collegiate career with 23 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
- Isaiah Crawford recorded his seventh 20-point scoring performance of the season with 22 points. It marked the second time Crawford has tallied 20+ points in a C-USA Tournament game.
- Dravon Mangum posted his first double-double as a Bulldog with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
- For the first time since 2020, there were two Bulldogs who registered a double-double in the same game.
UP NEXT
LA Tech will face No. 2 seed North Texas on Thursday night in the C-USA Tournament Quarterfinals. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT at the Ford Center at The Star. The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechHoops), Instagram (@LATechHoops), and Facebook (LATechMBB).
