RUSTON – Louisiana Tech begins a two-game road swing with a trip to El Paso, Texas, to take on UTEP at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday inside the Don Haskins Center. The game will be live on ESPN+ and KNBB 97.7/LA Tech Athletics App.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 24 | 8 p.m. CT
Location: Don Haskins Center (El Paso, Texas.)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Mando Medina (PxP), Benjamin Grejeda (analyst)
Radio: KNBB 97.7 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Talent: Kyle Roberts
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (8-11, 2-2)
Louisiana Tech used a 16-0 run to end the first quarter to beat Jacksonville State 67-53 on Saturday, Jan. 20.
Anja Bukvic continues to step up her game for the Lady Techsters. A week after scoring a then career-high 11 points against Liberty, Bukvic set a new career-high with 17 points, two steals, and 30 minutes of action. In her last three games, she has seen her average rise from 2.2 points to 4.1 per game.
A steady hand for the Lady Techsters, Anna Larr Roberson is coming off her second 20-point performance of the season. She has scored double figures in five of the last six games. She recently moved into 23rd on the all-time scoring list with 1,475 points.
Salma Bates has been one of the top defenders in Conference USA this season. The senior guard ranks third with 34 steals and fourth with 1.79 steals per game.
Tech continues to be the best-distributing team in the league, with 13.6 assists per game. Silvia Nativi leads the way with 3.1 per game for eighth in the conference. Bates is second on the team with 2.7, and Morris is at 2.3, 10th and 12th in CUSA.
ABOUT UTEP (6-11, 1-3)
UTEP started the season 3-0 before dropping eight of the final 10 non-conference games. The Miners opened CUSA play with a win over New Mexico State before falling in the last three against FIU, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky.
UTEP's offense features a balanced attack with four players averaging over 7.5 points per game, led by Jane Asinde (16.3) and Erin Wilson (13.5) in double figures.
Asinde, a Wichita State transfer, is second in CUSA in scoring and fourth in the league with 8.6 rebounds per game. The senior forward has seven double-doubles on the season. Wilson is the top returner for the Miners, who brought back only five players. She is the team leader with 8.9 rebounds per game and is third in the conference. She has six double-doubles on the season, with two coming in CUSA action.
UTEP is one of the best in the country at getting to the free-throw line. The Miners get to the line 20.47 times per game and make 14.18.
THE SERIES
LA Tech holds a 16-11 advantage in the series all-time. The teams have swapped the previous three-season series, with UTEP taking three last season, including the CUSA quarterfinals.
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