RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Men's Basketball team opens Conference USA action on Saturday when they take on Sam Houston.  It will be the first of 16 straight league games for the Bulldogs.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 6 | 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum (Huntsville, Texas)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (10-5, 0-0 CUSA)
LA Tech put an end to its three-game losing skid by defeating Dallas Christian, 96-55, in their final non-conference contest of the regular season.  The Bulldogs scored just seven seconds into the game and never trailed, improving to 8-0 at home this season.
 
The Bulldogs shot a season-best 60.3 percent from the field versus the Crusaders, the best shooting percentage since 2017. LA Tech has now shot at least 55 percent in back-to-back games, a first since 2016.  A big reason for the high percentage was their dominance in the paint where they outscored DCC, 54-24. Over the last three games, the 'Dogs have outscored their opponents, 138-58.
 
Defensively, LA Tech held DCC to 36.5 percent shooting, marking the 10th time this season the 'Dogs have held their opponent to less than 38 percent from the field.  They also regis­tered 13 steals and a season-high 11 blocks (most since 2016).
 
Daniel Batcho led the Bulldogs in scoring for a fourth straight game, scoring 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting.  Over the last four games, the forward is averaging 20.0 points per game while shooting 69 percent from the field.  He is also averaging 10.3 rebounds per game during this span. He is currently one of 12 players in the country averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.1 boards per game.
 
Isaiah Crawford made history on Wednesday, becoming the first player in program history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals, and 50 blocks.  He also recently became the first Bulldog to rank in the top 10 in career steals and career blocks. The forward leads the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game.
 
LA Tech gets its 11th season in Conference USA underway on Saturday.  The Bulldogs own a 114-64 record (64 percent) in CUSA games, a winning percentage that ranks fourth all-time in the history of the league.  They will start league action with back-to-back games on the road, a first since 2017-18 season.
 
ABOUT SAM HOUSTON (7-8, 0-0 CUSA)
Sam Houston put an end to its three-game losing streak by defeating the University of Dallas, 93-53.  The Bearkats jumped out to a 55-25 advantage midway through the game and cruised to its seventh win of the season.  Prior to the victory, they had suffered losses to Texas State, Grand Canyon, and Texas Tech as they rounded out non-conference play.
 
The Bearkats like to get to the foul line, av­eraging 15.7 made free throws and 22.1 free throw attempts per game.  They are shooting 71.1 percent from the charity stripe, which ranks as the second best in CUSA.
 
Defensively, Sam Houston ranks high in de­fending the three-point line allowing oppo­nents to shoot just 30.3 percent from deep.  On five occasions this season the Bearkats held their opponent to under 20 percent shooting from beyond the arc.  They also force 14.87 turnovers per game, which ranks 53rd in the country.
 
Sam Houston's scoring threats are Davon Barnes and Lamar Wilkerson who are averag­ing 14.3 and 12.9 points per game, respec­tively.  The duo have combined to make 48 three-pointers.  They both are almost automat­ic from the free throw line, each shooting over 87 percent.
 
Sam Houston will play its first ever Conference USA game on Saturday.  The Bearkats recently spend two seasons as members of the West­ern Athletic Conference where they went a combined 27-9 in the league.  Last season, they went 26-8 overall and 14-4 in the WAC, finishing second in the league behind Utah Valley.  They would go on to play in the National Invitation Tournament.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech leads the all-time series with Sam Houston, 5-2.  Even though the two programs are only about four hours apart, the Bulldogs and Bearkats have only faced off seven times on the hardwood.
 
The two teams first played twice during the 1946-47 season.  Most recently, they played a home-and-home series in 2018 in Ruston and 2019 in Huntsville.  Sam Houston won the last meeting, 71-68.  Saturday will mark the first meeting as conference opponents. 
 
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