Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech basketball fans will have two opportunities to watch their teams in action Thursday as the Lady Techsters and Bulldogs look to build on season-opening victories when they host opponents at the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Lady Techsters (1-0) will open their home schedule at 11 a.m. against Texas A&M-Texarkana in the program’s annual Education Day game, while the Bulldogs (1-0) will host Arkansas-Monticello at 6:30 p.m.
Both games will be televised on ESPN+.
The two Tech teams opened their seasons Monday with impressive victories against Mid-American Conference opponents as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
Brooke Stoehr’s Lady Techsters rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Toledo 61-57 on the road, giving Stoehr her 250th career coaching victory.
The Lady Techsters outscored the Rockets 21-14 in the final quarter, shooting 72.7% from the field and closing the game with a 7-0 run in the final minute. Jordan Marshall led Tech with 14 points and 11 rebounds, recording the 16th double-double of her collegiate career.
Several newcomers also made immediate contributions. Brittani Wells finished with 11 points and six assists, while Alana Obianozie added 10 points and five rebounds. Freshman E’Marriha Johnson scored nine first-half points in her collegiate debut.
The Lady Techsters will face a Texas A&M-Texarkana team still searching for its first victory.
The Eagles (0-3) are coming off a 67-61 loss to Biblical Studies in which Chioma Treasure Emeh scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and recorded five steals. Emeh leads the Eagles in scoring at 16.3 points per game while shooting 50% from the field. Texas A&M-Texarkana is coached by Mary Chris Vogt, who is in her first season as head coach after previously spending 10 years on the staff at UL-Lafayette.
Thursday will mark the first meeting between the two programs.
In the nightcap, Talvin Hester’s Bulldogs will look to build on an 85-75 victory over Kent State that extended Tech’s streak of consecutive home-opening wins to 20.
The Bulldogs, who feature 12 newcomers on their 13-man roster, received outstanding performances from a pair of transfers in their season opener. Braylon Winger poured in 28 points, connecting on eight of 12 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers. Ethan Blackmon recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Tech’s defense also played a significant role in the victory, limiting Kent State to 32.4% shooting from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs held preseason All-MAC first-team selection Chansey Willis Jr. scoreless on six field goal attempts.
Arkansas-Monticello, an NCAA Division II program, will be playing its first game of the season Thursday. The contest will count toward Louisiana Tech’s regular-season record but will be considered an exhibition for the Boll Weevils.
Arkansas-Monticello finished 10-18 last season and was picked to finish 12th in the Great American Conference preseason coaches poll. Sixth-year head coach Chad Tapp leads the Boll Weevils, who have lost all three previous meetings against Louisiana Tech.
The programs last met Nov. 27, 2001, when the Bulldogs posted an 83-66 victory in Ruston.
