RUSTON – Louisiana Tech looks to get back into the win column Friday as the Bulldogs play host to Kennesaw State inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court. The contest was origi­nally slated for Saturday but was moved up due to anticipated weather.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, Jan. 23 | 1 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (10-8, 3-4 CUSA)
Following a pair of double-digit comebacks, LA Tech was on the verge of doing it again, but its comeback effort fell short in a 64-60 loss to Jacksonville State this past Saturday. Down 16 with five minutes to go, the Bulldogs went on a 13-0 run to get to within one possession at 60-57 with 55 seconds to go, but the Gamecocks were able to prevent LA Tech from securing its first road win of the season by sinking four late free throws.
 
Offensively, LA Tech went 12-of-13 from the free throw line at Jax State for 92.3 percent, a new season high. The Bulldogs' other scoring came primarily from the paint where they had 34 points to the Gamecocks 20. LA Tech has scored 30+ paint points in 13 games, including four of the last five.
 
LA Tech is becoming accustomed to playing in close games. Four of the Bulldogs' last five contests have been decided by five points or less (LA Tech is 2-2 in these games). One of the reasons LA Tech overcame a 12-point deficit to defeat Delaware, a 20-point deficit to beat Middle Tennessee, and nearly overcame a 16-point deficit at Jax State, has been the play of the last five minutes. The Bulldogs have outscored those three opponents 36-15 during that stretch.
 
LA Tech continues to rank third in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 60.5 points per game. They also rank third in the nation in field goal percentage defense (37.8). During conference play only, the Bulldogs rank second scoring defense and third in field goal percentage defense.
 
DJ Dudley scored a game-high 25 points at Jax State, one shy of tying his season high. The junior has emerged as the top scorer for the Bulldogs, leading them in scoring a team-high nine times this season. He has anchored the squad in points in each of the last four games, scoring 17+ points in all four for an average of 19.5 points (shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range). During conference play only, Dudley is averaging 16.6 points, which ranks eighth in the league.
 
Melian Martinez has become the primary five-man for the Bulldogs as of late, getting reinserted into the starting lineup the last two games. Over the last five games, the center is averaging 5.8 points while shooting 82.4 percent from the field (14-of-17). Defensively, he is averaging 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest. Martinez has tallied multiple rejections in four of the five games and currently ranks second in the league in blocks per game (2.00) during conference play.
 
ABOUT KENNESAW STATE (12-7, 4-4 CUSA)
Kennesaw State got off to a 9-2 start this sea­son but ran into its toughest stretch of losing four straight games -- three on the road to open CUSA play and a 92-81 defeat versus 16th-ranked Alabama in a neutral site contest to close non-conference.
 
The Owls, picked second in the CUSA presea­son poll, were able to flip a switch and reel off four straight victories in league action over Missouri State, Jacksonville State, FIU, and WKU. That streak came to an end on Thursday as they nearly rallied from a 15-point defi­cit before falling 93-87 at Sam Houston in a high-scoring affair.
 
KSU, now in its second season in CUSA, sits at 4-4 in conference play through eight games, a mark that has them currently in a three-way tie for fifth. Last season, the Owls were highly competitive in winning 10 conference games to tie for fourth in the league standings.
 
Kennesaw State checks in as one, if not the, best rebounding teams in the country. The Owls rank second in the nation in both re­bounds per game (44.79) and offensive re­bounds per game (15.84). They have lost the rebounding battle only twice this season, and both of those were just by one board.
 
Offensively, KSU was riding the hot hand this season of Simeon Cottle. The CUSA Preseason Player of the Year was averaging 20.2 points per game but has missed the last two games due to suspension. Stepping up in his place has been RJ Johnson. The sophomore guard who redshirted last season was averaging just 9.0 points through the first 14 games. Over the last four, he is averaging a whopping 26.3 points including back-to-back 30-point performances that helped earn him CUSA Player of the Week.
 
He is one of the reasons why the Owls rank first in CUSA and 17th in the country in scor­ing, averaging 88.4 points per game.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech trails in the all-time series versus Kennesaw State, 0-2.  The two programs met for the first time last season when the Owls joining CUSA.  KSU ended up winning both meetings – 78-76 in Kennesaw and 69-47 in Ruston.
 
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