RUSTON – Louisiana Tech will go for another home sweep as the Bulldogs play host to league leader Middle Tennessee on Saturday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 25 | 5:30 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.)
TV: ESPNU | ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
Promotions: LATechSports.com/FlashSale ($5 tickets – online only), mini basketball giveaway
Game Sponsor: Ivan Smith Furniture
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (14-6, 3-4 CUSA)
After two straight two-point losses on the road, LA Tech got back into the win column by defeating WKU, 77-67, in the friend­ly confines of the TAC. In doing so, the Bulldogs extended their home winning streak to six games while taking a 23-22 edge in the series versus the Hilltoppers.
 
LA Tech set season highs for made free throws (29) and free throws attempted (42) against WKU. Both are the most by the Bulldogs in a single game since Dec. 4, 2015 against Jackson State. The 42 attempted free throws are also the most by a CUSA team this season. Thirty-one of those 42 attempts at the foul line came in the second half as WKU was whistled for 29 fouls.
 
The bench came up huge for the LA Tech in the win over WKU, matching their season high with 32 points. It marked just the third time this season that the bench scored 30+ points in a game (had scored a combined 38 points in the last three games).
 
Daniel Batcho is currently the only player in college basketball to be averaging at least 18 points, six rebounds, and two blocks per game. He led the Bulldogs in scoring for the ninth time this season (third straight game), scoring 18 points versus WKU. The nation's leader in field goal percentage at 73.5 percent was 5-of- 7 from the field while also going 8-of-14 from the foul line. He ranks first in CUSA and top 20 in the country in both free throws attempted (144) and free throws made (107). The nearly unstop­pable power forward is averaging 6.0 fouls drawn per game and has drawn 10+ fouls in three of the last four games.
 
Sean Newman Jr. is nearly averaging a double-double at 9.8 points and 9.1 assists per game, which ranks second in the coun­try along with his total of 182 assists behind only Ryan Nem­bhard of Gonzaga. Just 20 games into the season, he has already cracked the top 10 for most assists in program history ranking ninth. He dished out five assists against WKU, marking the 19th time in 20 games with at least five dimes. He has registered 5+ assists in 38 of his 48 career games as a Bulldog.
 
Jordan Crawford came up clutch against the Hilltoppers. The hometown Bulldog, who has been plagued by numerous injuries this season, registered a season-high 11 points and a career-high nine rebounds in just 11 minutes of action off the bench against WKU. Al Green was another spark off the bench as the shooting guard recorded 11 points after missing the last two games due to injury.
 
ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (14-5, 5-1 CUSA)
Middle Tennessee is arguably the hottest team in Conference USA right now. The Blue Raid­ers have won seven of their last nine games and are currently riding a four-game winning streak that has propelled them to the top of the CUSA standings.
 
MTSU claimed three straight league victories at home over Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, and WKU and then extended its win­ning streak by defeating Sam Houston on the road on Thursday, 77-75. Holding a 7-point lead with a little more one-minute remaining, the Blue Raiders were able to hold off a late rally from the Bearkats includ­ing a clutch block on what would have been a game-tying layup in the closing seconds.
 
One of the reasons for the four-game winning streak has been offensive production. The Blue Raiders are shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc during this stretch. MTSU knocked down 12 three-pointers against Sam Houston, tying its season high for made threes in a game.   The Blue Raiders are averaging 74.8 points per game during CUSA play, second most in the league, and are tops in field goal percentage (45.8).
 
A major key to the MTSU's offensive outputs as of late has been the play of Jestin Porter. The reigning CUSA Player of the Week is aver­aging a team-best 16.2 points per game this season, having hit 54 three-pointers which is the fourth most in the conference.
 
His game has elevated to a new level as of late, having scored 25+ points in three of the last four contests. He put up 27 and 29 points versus Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State, respectively. And then posted 28 points in the Thursday night win oer Sam Houston. During the Blue Raiders four-game winning streak, he is averaging 24.8 points per game and has hit 19 triples (went 8-for-12 versus the Bearkats).
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech leads the all-time series versus Middle Tennessee, 15-8.  The two programs first met in 1959 and then later played twice every season from 1987-90 before becoming league foes in the Sun Belt Conference for one season (2000-01) prior to the Bulldogs leaving to join the Western Athletic Conference.
 
The Bulldogs and Blue Raiders would be­come league foes again in 2013 when the two schools joined CUSA. Since then, LA Tech owns a slim 8-6 advantage in the series.
 
LA Tech swept the series in regular season last year with wins of 60-52 and 84-70, but MTSU won the third meeting, defeating the Bulldogs in the CUSA Tournament quarterfinals, 70-67.
 
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