Preview: LA Tech vs. Georgia Southern

RUSTON – After back-to-back games on the road, Louisiana Tech opens a three-game home stand Friday as the Bulldogs host Georgia Southern inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 13 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, La.)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics App
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (8-2)
LA Tech snapped its two-game losing skid this past Sunday with a 69-59 victory over rival UL-Lafayette.  The Bulldogs improved to 6-1 away from home this season (2-1 in true road games and 4-0 in neutral site games).  Those six wins away from home is tied for the most in the country.
 
The ‘Dogs were highly efficient on offense again, shooting 52.9 percent from the field versus the Ragin’ Cajuns.  It marked the fifth time this season shooting over 50 percent and the third time in the last four contests (shooting 50.5 percent during this span).  The team currently ranks 29th in the country in effective field goal percentage at 56.9 percent.
 
Daniel Batcho registered his first double-double of the season and 12th of his Bulldog career with 19 points and a season-high 11 rebounds against ULL.  He has scored 19+ points five times this season, which is right around his average of 19.2 points per game that ranks 32nd in the nation while shooting 72.8 percent from the field, third best in the country.
 
Bench production has been limited this season due to injuries and illness, but LA Tech got quality minutes against ULL.  Will Allen came in and recorded season highs in points (six) and rebounds (six) while freshman AJ Bates played a season-high 17 minutes and registered seven points and three boards.  Despite the off-scoring day, Al Green continues to be the primary sixth man averaging 9.5 points per game.
 
Sean Newman Jr. flirted with another double-double as the point guard posted 10 points as well as a game-high seven assists, giving him 88 dimes in the second which is the second most in the country. 
 
Amaree Abram and Kaden Cooper were the other two Bulldogs to score in double figures in Lafayette with 12 and 11 points, respectively.  Abram is averaging 13.7 points and a team-best 2.4 steals per game while Cooper is averaging 11.6 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game.
 
ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (6-4)
Georgia Southern won five of its first seven games, including an 80-65 season-opening victory against Northern Illinois in the SBC/MAC challenge as well as close victories over North Carolina Central and Winthrop at the Rock Hill Classic in South Carolina.
 
Following road losses to Drake and VCU, the Eagles got back into the win column in their last outing versus North Florida, defeating the Ospreys in overtime by a final score of 93-91.
 
Bradley Douglas was a key part of that overtime win against UNF, recording the game-winning shot with 6.7 seconds left. He ended up scoring 21 points, his second 20+ scoring performance of the season.

While he is averaging 10.9 points per game, his running partner Nakavieon White is aver­aging 12.6 points and had an even bigger per­formance against the Ospreys with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.  He has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games, including a season-high 25 versus William & Mary.
 
The Eagles’ leading scorer this season is Adante’ Holiman who is averaging 15.9 points but has missed the last three games.
 
Georgia Southern ranks 44th in the country in three-point percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot just 28.6 from beyond the arc. Seven of their 10 opponents have not cracked 30 percent shooting from three this season with six of those making six or fewer threes in a game.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech leads the all-time series versus Georgia Southern, 3-1.  The Bulldogs and Eagles first squared off on Feb. 18, 1961 in Ruston with LA Tech prevailing, 56-54.  The two programs met again in 1969 and 1972 while the last matchup took place at the 1987 Champion Holiday Classic in Missoula, Montana where the Eagles won, 63-46.  
 
Friday’s meeting is part of a home-and-home series.  LA Tech will play at Georgia Southern in Statesboro next season.
 
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