RUSTON – Louisiana Tech heads to the state of Florida to take part in the 2024 Gulf Coast Showcase, a three-day event that will feature matchups against Southern Illinois, Richmond, and Eastern Kentucky.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Southern Illinois
Date/Time: Monday, Nov. 25 | 2 p.m. CT
Opponent: Richmond
Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 26 | 2 p.m. CT
Opponent: Eastern Kentucky
Date/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 27 | 11 a.m. CT
Location: Hertz Arena (Estero, Fla.)
TV: FloCollege
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (4-0)
LA Tech remained undefeated after taking care of Mississippi College, 105-67. The Bulldogs had two big runs in the victory, opening the game on a 17-0 run and then finishing the contest off with a 23-0 run. LA Tech is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 2017-18 season, having won all four by double digits which is just the second time in program history (1971).
 
The Bulldogs were unstoppable on offense versus the Choctaws, shooting 67.8 percent (40-of-59) from the field which is the best by a LA Tech team since 1997 and the fifth best of any team in the country this season. The team also generated 18 steals, tied for the second most in school history (most since 1984). Nine of the 10 Bulldogs that played registered at least one steal.
 
Sean Newman Jr. set a new career record in assists for a third time this season. After topping his 11 assists at UTA with 12 dimes against UMass, the point guard reset his personal mark with a career-high 14 assists versus Mississippi College, tying for the second most in a single game in school history (most since 2012). In doing so, he became the first Bulldog in program history to record 10+ assists in three straight games and is now just nine assists shy of 200 at LA Tech.  He currently ranks first in the country in assists per game (11.3)   
 
Daniel Batcho had one of the best offensive games in program history against Mississippi College, scoring a career-high 38 points (most by a Bulldog since 2016) while making 13 of his 14 field goal attempts and 11 of his 12 free throw attempts. He also made his first ever three-point attempt as a Bulldog. He is averaging a team-best 22.8 points per game (14th in the nation) while shooting 88.9 percent from the field on the season (best in the country), having missed only four of his 36 field goal attempts.
 
Amaree Abram continues to contribute offensively and defensively. He scored in double figures for a fourth straight game, posting 13 points against Mississippi College. He is averaging 16.3 points while shooting a team-best 47.8 percent from long range (11-of-23). And he continues to pace the team in steals with 10, having tallied multiple steals in three of the four games.
 
ABOUT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (2-3)
Southern Illinois went 19-13 last season, finishing sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference.  The Salukis registered marquee victories over New Mexico State, Saint Louis, and Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State. 
 
SIU, picked to finish seventh in the MVC preseason poll this season, is off to a 2-3 start having played a difficult non-conference schedule.  Two of their three losses have come on the road to OK State and No. 21 Florida while their two victories have been against North Dakota State and Missouri A&T.
 
The Salukis are anchored offensively by the trio of Kennard Davis Jr., Ali Dibba, and Elijah Elliott who are all averaging 14 points per game and shooting around 50 percent from the field.  The three are also responsible for 24 of SIU's 31 made three-pointers this season.
 
The series is tied between LA Tech and SIU, 3-3.  The two programs played each other for four straight seasons from 1971-75 in what was consecutive home-and-home series.  They did not match up again until 2006 in Carbondale, Illinois as part of the old ESPN Bracketbuster challenge.  The return game was played in Ruston the following season.
 
ABOUT RICHMOND (2-3)
Richmond went 23-10 a season ago, winning its first ever Atlantic 10 regular season title.  The Spiders, which finished with a NET ranking of 73 and had highlight wins over Charlotte and UNLV, ended up participating in the National Invitation Tournament.
 
Picked to finish seventh in the A10 preseason poll this season, Richmond recently put an end to its three-game losing streak with a 70-66 home victory over Main.  The Spiders had previously lost to Marist, Charlotte, and a double overtime game at Bucknell.
 
Richmond has been better on the defensive side of the ball so far this season, ranking 65th in the country in field goal percentage defense (38.4).  Part of that is their ability to rebound the ball, averaging 30.00 defensive boards per contest which ranks 39th in the nation.
 
Offensively, DeLonnie Hunt has been the leading scorer for the Spiders with an average of 18.8 points per contest which has included two performances this season of 25+ points.
 
When the Bulldogs and Spiders face off on day two of the Gulf Coast Showcase, it will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.
 
ABOUT EASTERN KENTUCKY (3-1)
Eastern Kentucky went 17-14 last season, claiming the Atlantic Sun regular season title after going 12-4 in league play.  It marked their first regular season championship since 1979.
 
The Colonels, picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun preseason poll, have claimed victories so far over Alice Lloyd College, East Tennessee State, and Chicago State with the lone loss coming at Clemson.
 
EKU has excelled on the defensive end, averaging 10.3 steals per game (35th in the country) as well as forcing 17.25 turnovers per contest (27th in the nation).  Offensively, the Colonels attack the glass to the tune of 17.75 offensive boards per game and take a bunch of threes with an average of 29.8 attempts.
 
Four Colonels are averaging double figures, led by Devontae Blanton at 16.3 points per game.
 
This will be the fourth all-time meeting and the first since LA Tech and EKU played a home-and-home series during the 1974-75 season.
 
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