RUSTON – Louisiana Tech locked in defensively and used a strong second half to pull away from Jackson State, earning a 68–51 victory Saturday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
 
LA Tech (2–1) held JSU (0-3) to just 26.8 percent shooting from the field and 24.2 percent from three while forcing 17 turnovers.  The Bulldogs also controlled the glass with a 57–37 rebounding edge, including 23 offensive boards that led to 17 second-chance points.
 
The Tigers came out firing from three, making four of their first six attempts from long range to help build a 25-17 lead with 7:28 remaining in the first half.  At that point, head coach Talvin Hester found a new defensive lineup he liked (one that included Jermaurhiyun Anderson who was making his first appearance after missing the first two games due to injury).  The coach even tossed in some zone as well. 
 
Both worked.  After putting up 25 points in the first 12 minutes and change, LA Tech limited JSU to just 26 minutes over the final 27+ minutes of the contest. 
 
After trailing by eight, the 'Dogs went on a 17-2 run to close out the half and take a 34-27 advantage into the locker room.  Back-to-back tip ins by Kaden Cooper followed by an AJ Bates three-pointer from the wing (the first make for the Bulldogs on the night) helped LA Tech regain the lead, one they never relinquished.
 
Even so, JSU hung around in the second half.  It was only a 44-41 lead for the Bulldogs with 9:43 to play in the contest.  Again, it was Bates and Cooper offensively igniting LA Tech.  Cooper drained a three-pointer and then was the recipient of an alley-oop pass from Bates, which he threw down with authority.  It was part of a 13-2 run that helped put the game out of reach for the Tigers.
 
Bates continued his strong start to the season, posting 15 points and eight assists.  Cooper also had 15 points to go along with seven boards and two blocks.  Avery Thomas II was the third Bulldog in double figures with 13 points, including two late triples that helped LA Tech pull away.
 
It was a relentless effort on the glass all night by LA Tech, so much so that the Bulldogs had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds in the first half.  Kylan Howze and Thomas II each had nine rebounds, two of nine Bulldogs that had at least three boards.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
 
On the win…
"I knew Jackson State was good enough to come out and compete.  They are picked to be one of the top teams in their league.  I tried to find a defensive lineup and found a group that I really liked.  Jackson State came out hot.  We were able to break their rhythm by switching defenses and by subbing.  I subbed Jermaurhiyun Anderson in and he was the head of our defensive snake.  He made it hard on those guards.  Late, I felt like we could create some separation, but we stopped out own selves by doing that by missing free throws.  We must continue to work on that."
 
On the defense…
"You must have the ability to stop the ball at the point of attack.  And Jermaurhiyun was dynamic in doing that.  He was a +21 in 22 minutes.  We started getting run outs.  Jackson State kept shooting threes, which gave us run outs on the other end with easy baskets when we were struggling to score.  We are going to continue to fight, find that defensive lineup that we want.  I was impressed by us holding them to 51 points because not even Illinois or Louisville was able to do that."
 
On the rebounding…
"We were relentless.  We have been working on being aggressive.  We have done rebounding drills since Nevada.  You must understand how hard it is to play at this level and I think some of our guys did not know.  I think getting punched in the mouth at Nevada was a wake up call.  We have tried to figure out ways to motivate our guys since to rebound the basketball."
 
NOTABLES

• With the win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series against Jackson State, 14-2.  The Bulldogs have now won 13 straight over the Tigers, the longest active winning streak against any opponent.
• The Bulldogs allowed the Tigers to score just 51 points, the fewest ever in the 16 meetings in the series.
• LA Tech improved to 213-22 all-time in non-conference home games.  The Bulldogs have now won 47 of their last 49 non-conference games in the TAC.
• LA Tech pulled down 57 total rebounds, the most in a single game since Nov. 26, 2022, against Tennessee-Southern.  It is the most against a DI opponent since the Bulldogs had 57 against San Jose State on Feb. 15, 2006.
• LA Tech now has back-to-back games of 50+ rebounds, a first since 2014.
• The Bulldogs had 23 offensive rebounds, the most in a single game since Nov. 26, 2022, versus Tennessee-Southern.  It is the most against a DI opponent since the Bulldogs had 24 at Northwestern State on Dec. 4, 2012.
• LA Tech has now held back-to-back opponents to under 30 percent shooting, something that has not happened in at least 20 years.
• Kaden Cooper registered his 15th career double-digit scoring game with 15 points.  It marked the fifth time he has led the Bulldogs in scoring.
• AJ Bates also had 15 points, his fifth career game with double-digit scoring.  Bates also dished out eight assists, one shy of tying his career high.

UP NEXT
LA Tech will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana to take on Indiana State.  The game is set for Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
 
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