LOUISIANA TECH 2023-24 BULLDOG BASKETBALL GAME 10 MATCHUP
GAMEDAY INFO DATE/TIME: Saturday, Dec. 9 | 2 p.m. CT LOCATION: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.) SERIES HISTORY: LA Tech leads, 91-77 STREAK: UL-Lafayette, 1 LAST MEETING: Nov. 17, 2022 | Lafayette, La. UL-Lafayette 94, LA Tech 88 MEDIA: ESPN+ TALENT: Lyn Rollins (pxp), Victor Howell (analyst) RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app TALENT: Malcolm Butler (pxp) STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats
2023-24 SCHEDULE
LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGs (7-2) Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 22-20 (2nd year) Career Record: Same Record vs. ULL: 0-1
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 35
VS UL-LAFAYETTE RAGIN’ CAJUNS (5-3) Head Coach: Bob Marlin Record at ULL: 251-177 (14th year) Career Record: 476-308 (26th year) Record vs. LA Tech: 6-4
AP Poll: NR USA Today Poll: NR NET Ranking: 161
BULLDOG STORYLINES
Overall: 7-2 | CUSA: 0-0 | H: 5-0 | A: 2-2 | N: 0-0 NOVEMBER 6 at Colorado State 13 LYON COLLEGE 16 at ULM 21 SOUTHERN UTAH^ 22 MCNEESE STATE^ 25 DILLARD 29 at New Mexico
MEDIA MWN ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ MWN
W/L L W W W W W L
SCORE 73-81 100-43 73-63 67-53 71-62 105-65 65-74
2 NICHOLLS 5 at Stephen F. Austin 9 UL-LAFAYETTE 12 SOUTHEASTERN 16 at Saint Louis 20 at Seattle U 30 at Grand Canyon
ESPN+ W ESPN+ W ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+ ESPN+
68-55 56-49 2 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 9 p.m. 7 p.m.
• The rivalry continues on Saturday as Louisiana Tech hosts UL-Lafayette at 2 p.m. inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court. It will be the 169th meeting on record between the Bulldogs and Ragin’ Cajuns and the 11th consecutive season they have played in what has become an annual non-conference matchup.
• The series history dates back to 1926 when LA Tech and ULL joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In the 96 seasons since then (college basketball was discontinued from 1942-44 due to World War II), the two programs have played at least once in all but eight of those seasons. While they have been non-conference foes since 2001, they have been conference rivals in six different leagues (SIAA, Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference, Gulf States Conference, Southland Conference, America South DECEMBER Conference, and Sun Belt Conference).
JANUARY 3 DALLAS CHRISTIAN ESPN+ 6 p.m. 6 at Sam Houston* ESPN+ 4:30 p.m. 11 at Middle Tennessee* CBS SN 8 p.m. 14 LIBERTY* ESPNU 2 p.m. 20 at Jacksonville State* ESPN+ 4 p.m. 25 UTEP* ESPN+ 6 p.m. 27 NEW MEXICO STATE* ESPN+ 2 p.m. FEBRUARY 1 at FIU* ESPN+ 6 p.m. 7 WKU* ESPN+ 6 p.m. 10 at Liberty* ESPNU 7 p.m. 15 JACKSONVILLE STATE* ESPN+ 6 p.m. 17 FIU* ESPN+ 2 p.m. 22 at UTEP* ESPN+ 8 p.m. 24 at New Mexico State* ESPN+ 8 p.m. 28 at WKU* ESPN+ 7 p.m.
• LA Tech put together one of the best defensive performances in program history this past Tuesday in their 56-49 victory over Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. The Bulldogs held the Lumberjacks to just 21.9 percent shooting from the field, the lowest in at least 50 years, as well as just one made three-pointer. The ‘Jacks came into the game ranked top 50 in the country in both field goal and 3-point field goal percentage. • Isaiah Crawford was the key contributer offensively for the Bulldogs, scoring a gamehigh 19 points. He has led LA Tech in scoring four times this season while averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game. The do-it-all forward is currently the only player in the country with at least 135 points, 45 rebounds, 20 assists, 15 steals, and 10 blocks. • Daniel Batcho posted his fourth double-double of the season at Stephen F. Austin with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It is the most double-doubles of anyone in Conference USA and tied for 16th most in the country. He is currently averaging 12.9 points and a team-high 10.9 rebounds per game, a mark that ranks eighth in the nation. • Tahlik Chavez is starting to find his shooting stroke. Through the first five games, he was shooting 26.3 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-38). Over the last four games, he is shooting 41.6 percent from deep (10-of-24). • LA Tech currently ranks in the top 10 in the country in scoring defense (60.6) and field goal percentage defense (35.9). The Bulldogs have held seven of their last eight opponents to less than 38 percent shooting from the field.
A LA TECH WIN...
MARCH 7 SAM HOUSTON* CBS SN 8 p.m. 9 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPN+ 2 p.m. • Would improve the Bulldogs record to 8-2. LA Tech has won at least eight of its first 10 12 CUSA Championship$ ----- TBA games in two of the last three seasons (last time was the 2021-22 season). All home games CAPS | All times CST and subject to change * Conference USA game ^ LA Tech MTE $ Huntsville, Ala.
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• Would give the Bulldogs their fifth win this season over an in-state opponent. LA Tech has already defeated ULM, McNeese State, Dillard, and Nicholls. • Would give the Bulldogs their 22nd win over the Ragin’ Cajuns in the Thomas Assembly Center. LA Tech is 21-6 versus ULL in the TAC, having won the last two.
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