Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Comm
Louisiana Tech puts its six-game winning streak on the line tonight when the Bulldogs play host to WKU inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m and the game can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on 107.5 FM.
The Bulldogs (16-6, 6-1) are coming off their most dominant performance of the season, defeating FIU, 93-53, in Miami this past Thursday to stay atop the league standings. The 40-point victory was the second largest road win in program history and tied for the second largest road win in a CUSA game in the league’s history.
It was an offensive onslaught as well against FIU, shooting a season-best 62.4 percent from the field as well as 52.4 percent from deep and 100 percent from the foul line. Tahlik Chavez poured in a game-high 27 points, burying a season-high seven three-pointers. In league play, the sharpshooter is averaging 16.1 points while shooting a CUSA-best 48.9 percent from beyond the arc (22-of-45).
During the six-game winning streak, the trio of Isaiah Crawford, Daniel Batcho, and Chavez have combined to average 50.3 points per game. Meanwhile, LA Tech is holding its opponents to 57.5 points and 37.0 percent shooting from the field.
Another winning streak on the line is the Bulldogs home winning streak. They are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, an 11-game winning streak that is tied for the 21st longest active streak in the nation.
WKU (15-7, 4-4), who are led by first-year head coach Steve Lutz, sits alone in fourth place in the CUSA standings, this coming off an 88-65 victory over rival Middle Tennessee at home this past Saturday. WKU plays at the fastest tempo in the country, ranking No. 1 with an average of 75.5 possessions per game. As a result, they rank 40th in the country in scoring offense at 80.7 points per game. In league action, they have upped that to 81.4 points per contest, helped by a 105-point effort against FIU.
The Hilltoppers have a trio of scoring guards – Don McHenry (15.4), Brandon Newman (10.1), and Khristian Lander (10.1). The Hilltoppers also have forward Rodney Howard who is averaging 10.0 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent.
LA Tech and WKU have met 42 times on the hardwood with each winning 21 meetings. The two programs spent 10 seasons as league foes in the Sun Belt Conference (1991-2001). Now they are entering their 10th season together as league foes in CUSA (2014-present).
Since becoming league opponents again, it has been a very competitive series with LA Tech owning an 8-6 edge (home team is 11-1). The Bulldogs had won five straight, but the Hilltoppers snapped that streak in last season’s matchup in Bowling Green by a score of 76-66.
