RUSTON – Louisiana Tech wraps up its two-game home stand on Saturday when they host FIU inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 17 | 2 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (17-8, 7-3 CUSA)
An injury plagued LA Tech team still managed to pull out a 63-58 victory over Jacksonville State on Thursday.  The Bulldogs held the lead for almost the entire game, but still needed some clutch free throws and late defensive stops to secure the victory and stop their two-game losing skid.
 
The defense ended up holding Jax State to 39.6 percent shooting from the field, the 15th time this season holding an opponent to under 40 percent which is tied for the fourth most in the nation. The Bulldogs also held the Gamecocks to just 58 points, the sixth time in league play they have held their opponent to under 60. LA Tech currently ranks 12th in the country in scoring defense (63.4) and eighth in field goal percentage defense (39.0).
 
LA Tech forced 19 turnovers, tied for the most by a Bulldogs in a CUSA game this season, turning those into 16 points. They also registered six blocks, the 13th time this season with at least five rejections in a single game (sixth time in the last seven games).
 
Getting his first start of the season, Terri Miller Jr. scored a career-high 17 points while also playing a career-high 28 minutes. He is the seventh different Bulldog to lead the team in scoring in a single game this season. He also contributed with four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
 
Isaiah Crawford registered 13 points in the win, reaching double-digit scoring for the 14th time in the last 15 games. He was also a major contributor on defense with three steals and three blocked shots (second straight game with at least three steals and three rejections). The forward now has 57 steals (tied for 10th most in a single season in program history) and 42 blocks this season, the only player in the country with at least 50 steals and 40 blocks.
 
Tahlik Chavez recorded 13 points versus the Gamecocks, making one three-pointer which was the 350th made three of his collegiate career. He now has 64 made triples this season and is shooting a CUSA-best 41.3 percent from beyond the arc (ranks 19th in the country). He was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line, making four straight in the last 17 seconds to secure the victory.
 
ABOUT FIU (8-17, 3-7 CUSA)
After opening up conference play with two wins in its first three games, FIU has lost six of its last seven league contests including a 70-56 defeat at Sam Houston this past Thursday.  The Panthers have not found success on the road this season, producing a 1-9 record away from home including an 0-4 mark in CUSA road games.
 
FIU gets a lot of production on offense from its bench.  The Panthers average 29.52 bench points per game, which ranks first in CUSA and 17th in the country.  Their top two scorers are still mainstays in the starting lineup – guards Arturo Dean and Javaunte Hawkins – who are averaging 12.3 and 12.2 points per game, respectively.  Hawkins does the bulk of his scoring from beyond the arc where he is shooting 39.2 percent (third best in CUSA) with 65 made three-pointers.
 
The Panthers are still getting after teams defensively with their pressure.  They are currently averaging 11.0 steals per game while forcing 18.4 turnovers per contest, both of which rank second in the country.
 
Dean leads the nation in total steals (86) and steals per game (3.58).  He has recorded multiple steals in 21 of the 24 games he has played in this season, having totaled 24 during league play.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech leads the all-time series over FIU, 12-8, having won three straight over the Panthers.  The last win came back on Feb. 1 when the Bulldogs overpowered the Panthers, 93-53, in Miami.    
 
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