RUSTON – Louisiana Tech goes for its 10th straight home win as the Bulldogs play host to CUSA preseason favorite Liberty in a nationally televised contest Thursday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, Jan. 8 | 6 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
Sponsor: Pepsi
Promotions: Greek Night | Mental Health Game | T-Shirt & Rally Towel Giveaway
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (8-6, 1-2 CUSA)
LA Tech overcame a 15-point deficit to take the lead with one minute left, but WKU capitalized on multiple trips to the free throw line as the Bulldogs fell 66-61 in a hard-fought battle with the Hilltoppers on Sunday. After taking a 61-60 advantage with 59.7 seconds left, the Bulldogs went 0-for-3 from the field while WKU went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, preventing LA Tech from claiming its first road win of the season.
The Bulldogs come into the weekend with an 8-0 record at home. In the friendly confines of the TAC, LA Tech is shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the opponents are shooting just 32.2 percent from the field and 24.1 percent from downtown.
Despite the loss to WKU, LA Tech still ranks No. 2 in the country in scoring defense (59.1) as well as third in the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 36.4 percent from the field. The Bulldogs held the Hilltoppers, who were coming off a 102-scoring output against Sam Houston, to just 66 points (second fewest points of the season) on 32.1 percent shooting.
AJ Bates scored a team-high 13 points against the Hilltoppers, playing all 40 minutes. The sophomore guard has anchored the team in scoring five times this season, averaging 11.7 points per game. He also dished out three assists, bringing his season total to 82 which ranks third in CUSA and 41st in the country.
Melian Martinez had his best game as a Bulldog, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field for a career-high 12 points to go along with three blocks in just 19 minutes of action at WKU. He became the first Bulldog since Isaiah Crawford (Nov. 21, 2023, versus Southern Utah) to shoot 100 percent in a single game (min. six attempts).
Scooter Williams came off the bench to register 10 points against WKU, marking the fourth straight game in double figures. The graduate senior is averaging 11.3 points per game during this stretch.
ABOUT LIBERTY (11-3, 3-0 CUSA)
Liberty, the CUSA preseason favorite and reigning regular season and tournament champion, opened the season with five straight wins before suffering its three losses in a four-game span. The Flames have gotten back on track ever since, winning five straight including a 64-61 victory at Dayton to close out non-conference as well as a 3-0 start to league play. They first survived FIU in Miami in overtime and then followed that up with home victories against Kennesaw State (81-73) and Jacksonville State (78-69). Most recently versus the Gamecocks, the Flames erupted for 51 second-half points to remain undefeated at Liberty Arena this season.
The Flames are an offensive juggernaut, overwhelming opponents yet again with their high efficiency. Liberty ranks top 10 in the country in several categories including effective field goal percentage (62.1), field goal percentage (52.3), and three-point field goal percentage (40.4).
Liberty is most well-known for its three-point shooting, averaging 11.2 made triples per game which ranks 11th in the nation. The Flames have made 10+ threes in eight of their 11 games and 15+ four times.
The team is led by a four-headed monster with Brett Decker Jr., Kaden Metheny, Colin Porter, and Zach Cleveland. The four Flames rarely leave the floor, and they can all score it. Decker Jr. is the newbie of the bunch. After playing limited action last season, he has come on as a sophomore and is averaging a team-best 18.0 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from deep with 54 made threes, both marks that rank top 10 in the nation.
Then there is Metheny, a two-time All-CUSA selection, who is averaging 14.5 points with 41 triples made. Over the last two-plus seasons, he has sunk 230 three-pointers. Colin Porter is back, having started in 115 career games for the Flames, is averaging 11.9 points while Zach Cleveland, also a two-time All-CUSA honoree, is arguably their best all-around player, averaging 10.3 points while also leading the team with 8.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game (ranks sixth in the country).
THE SERIES
LA Tech and Liberty will face off for the fifth team, having split both matchups in each of the last two seasons as CUSA opponents. The home team has won all four meetings with three of those being decided by five points or less. Every game has been nationally televised up to this point.
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