RUSTON – Louisiana Tech embarks on its last road trip of the regular season, starting with a matchup against Liberty on Thursday night.  
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Thursday, March 5 | 6 p.m. CT
Location: Liberty Arena (Lynchburg, Va.)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (16-13, 9-9 CUSA)
With two games remaining, LA Tech is in a three-way tie for fifth in the league standings along with Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State.  The top 10 teams qualify for the Conference USA Tournament with the top six getting a first-round bye.  
 
A pivotal second-half surge proved to be the difference this past Saturday as LA Tech fell to FIU, 84-76, in the final home game. With the Bulldogs holding their largest lead of the contest at 59-52 with 12:13 to play, the Panthers erupted for a decisive 20-5 run over the next five minutes to seize control.
 
Despite giving up 84 points to FIU, the second most allowed this season, LA Tech still ranks top 15 in the country in scoring defense (65.3) and field goal percentage defense (39.4). The Bulldogs also rank No. 1 in both categories during conference play only.
 
Part of the defensive formula has been rim protection, averaging 5.0 blocks per game which ranks 17th in the nation. Melian Martinez leads the way with 46 blocks. During league play, the 7-foot center is No. 1 with an average of 2.3 rejections per contest (averaging 4.0 blocks over the last four games). 
 
Jaylen Fenner had his best game as a Bulldog, scoring a career-high 25 points versus FIU (previous high was 15) while shooting 8-of-13 from the field. He tallied 12 points in the previous contest against Missouri State. After hitting just two three-pointers in the previous 11 games, the freshman has hit four in the last two contests combined. 
 
DJ Dudley registered 20 points versus the Panthers, his eighth 20+ scoring performance of the season (tied for the 10th most by any player in CUSA). Seven of those have come in league play, including three of the last four. Over the last four contests, the junior is averaging 19.8 points while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc. During all of conference play, he is averaging a team-best 16.2 points, which ranks 11th in the league.
 
AJ Bates recorded seven assists versus FIU, marking the 19th time this season he has tallied at least five (has done so now in 10 of the last 11 games). The sophomore continues to rank top 35 in the nation in both total assists (169) and assists per game (5.8), which of which rank third in CUSA. He needs just four more assists to crack the top 10 list for single-season assists at LA Tech.
 
ABOUT LIBERTY (24-5, 16-2 CUSA)
With its 81-78 win at Jacksonville State this past Saturday, Liberty wrapped up the outright Conference USA regular season title. The Flames, who won their first 16 league games, hit a snag with back-to-back losses to WKU and Kennesaw State. However, LU rebounded with a narrow victory at Jax State to lock up the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. In the win over the Gamecocks, the Flames exploded for 54 second-half points after trailing 34-27 at the midway point.
 
The Flames are an offensive juggernaut, overwhelming opponents with their high efficiency. Liberty ranks No. 1 in the country in effective field goal percentage at 61.7 percent. They also rank top five in the nation in both field goal percentage (52.1) and three-point field goal percentage (40.2).
 
Liberty is most well-known for its three-point shooting, averaging 10.4 triples per game. During league play, they are shooting 39.6 percent from deep with 175 made threes.
 
Zach Cleveland makes Liberty go. The forward does everything for the Flames, averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists, which ranks 11th in the country. He also has totaled 37 steals and 39 blocks.
 
One of the recipients of his passes is Brett Decker Jr. who ranks No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (49.0). Decker Jr. is averaging a team-high 16.5 points and is three triples shy of 100 for the season. He is not the only sharpshooter as the Flames also have Kaden Metheny who is averaging 13.3 points while shooting 39.7 percent from deep.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech trails in the all-time series versus Liberty, 2-3. The Flames have won two in a row over the Bulldogs, including a 72-56 victory in Ruston earlier this season. 
 
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