Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech delivered one of its most dominant defensive performances of the season on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming Delaware with a suffocating second half to cruise to an 81-38 victory inside the Bob Carpenter Center.
Two days stunning first-place Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia, LA Tech (18-13, 11-9 CUSA) turned a comfortable halftime lead into a runaway, outscoring Delaware 41-16 after the break while allowing just four field goals in the final 20 minutes to complete the road sweep going into the Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship.
“Our defense was unbelievable in the second half. I thought it was good in the first half, but we were stifling in the second half. We were in gaps, we had active hands, and we were getting steals and turning them into easy offense.
“We did not have to play against Delaware’s zone so much, but when we did, we moved the basketball and got good looks. We did not try to force anything. Kaden Cooper, Jaylen Fenner, Avery Thomas, they were dynamic in going to get offensive rebounds too.”
The Bulldogs never trailed against the Flames and never trailed versus the Blue Hens, leading from start to finish and seizing full control midway through the second half with a staggering 28-0 run that turned the game into a rout.
The defensive effort was relentless as Delaware finished the afternoon shooting just 11-of-48 from the field (22.9%) and 6-of-29 from three-point range.
On the flipside, the Bulldogs were efficient offensively, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and knocking down 10 three-pointers, while forcing 18 turnovers that led to 31 points.
LA Tech built early momentum behind the hot shooting of Avery Thomas II, who connected on all three of his attempts from beyond the arc in the opening half to help the Bulldogs take a 40-22 lead into the break.
The Bulldogs then delivered their most dominant stretch of the afternoon midway through the second half. After Delaware trimmed the deficit to 50-33, LA Tech responded with the decisive 28-0 surge, fueled by transition baskets, steals, and second-chance opportunities. The run ballooned the lead to as many as 45 points, the Bulldogs’ largest advantage of the game.
Six Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Avery Thomas II with a season-high 20 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting. Kaden Cooper added 17 points, seven rebounds and six steals, while Jaylen Fenner chipped in 14 points. DJ Dudley finished with 10 points, and AJ Bates orchestrated the offense with a game-high nine assists to go along with nine points.
The Bulldogs also controlled the glass, outrebounding Delaware 39-25, while scoring 36 points in the paint.
With the road sweep, Tech earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming CUSA Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.
“I feel like our guys are playing more confident,” said Hester. “They are believing in who we are and what we have built as a team. We wanted to be playing our best basketball at this time. Coming into this trip, we had not been very successful on the road. As a coach, I can look back and say we should have done this earlier or I am glad we are doing it now. I would rather say we are playing this kind of basketball at this point in the season.”
Tech will open the tourney on Thursday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. against No. 5 seed Middle Tennessee.
