HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Louisiana Tech started off the month of March with a bang, dominating Sam Houston to the tune of a 90-66 victory on Saturday inside Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
For the most part, the pounding took place in the second half. LA Tech (19-10, 8-8 CUSA) scored on 24 of its 32 offensive possessions, shooting 71.4 percent from the field in the stanza including a stretch of 10 straight made field goals.
What started as a 36-30 halftime lead escalated quickly as the Bulldogs got whatever they wanted on the offensive end. They made 20 of their 27 second-half field goals, drained six of their eight three-pointers, and made eight of their nine free throw attempts.
It was the three ball that allowed LA Tech to creative some space on the scoreboard in the early going. Al Greenconnected on back-to-back three-pointers to make it 15-9 in favor of the Bulldogs. Green and Daniel Batcho would combine for 24 of the team's 36 first-half points.
Even still, Sam Houston (11-18, 4-12 CUSA) was only down two possessions at the midway point, well within striking distance on its home floor with one of the best three-point shooting percentages in the country.
A turnover by the Bulldogs on the opening possession of the second half turned into a layup by Marcus Boykin to make it a 36-32 ball game.
To say that it was all LA Tech the rest of the way would be an understatement.
The 'Dogs immediately went on a 10-3 run including back-to-back triples by AJ Bates and Amaree Abram to force a timeout by the Bearkats. Sam Houston would call another timeout two minutes later following six straight points by the visitors, capped by a steal and fastbreak layup from Bates to make it 52-38.
Neither of the TOs stopped LA Tech's momentum. Bates, starting in place of the injured Sean Newman Jr., had a stretch of scoring eight straight points. Amaree Abram came alive in the second half, scoring all 14 of his points in the stanza. Kaden Cooper flashed plays including a three-pointer from the corner and an alley-oop slam. And Batcho continued to hold down the fort in the paint.
Bates played all 40 minutes just as he did at FIU. As a result, he recorded career highs in points (20), assists (nine), and steals (four). Green added 19 points and a season-high four assists. Batcho had a near double-double with 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Abram tacked on 14 points while Cooper added 10.
Sam Houston was limited to 40.0 percent shooting from the field and just six made three-pointers. Lamar Wilkerson, one of the top scorers in CUSA, registered a game-high 22 points but was held to 6-of-17 shooting.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester On the second half …"One thing was we did not turn the ball over. We just played together. To have 17 assists and shoot 50 percent from three, we took the right shots. The ball went inside-out, we had movement. I thought we did a great job of playing inside-out. We did not force-feed Daniel Batcho and he still had 18 points. We took what the defense gave us, played together, competed. I am proud of this team."
On penetration in the paint by the guards …"That was the game plan. There were some things I thought we did well against Sam Houston in the last game. We brought that into this game. We played under control and played together."
On players stepping up with Sean Newman Jr. out …"How about AJ Bates. He has been getting better. He is not a freshman anymore. He is figuring this college thing out and we are just looking for him to keep getting better and better. Then you had Amaree Abram who went into halftime with zero points and finished with 14."
On LA Tech's defense …"Everybody that stepped into the game contributed in some form or fashion. It might not show on the stat sheet for some guys like Landren Blocker. It was a total team effort."
NOTABLES
- With the win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series over Sam Houston, 7-4. The Bulldogs completed the regular season sweep over the Bearkats.
- LA Tech won its second ever game over Sam Houston in Huntsville (first victory since 1990).
- LA Tech's 90 points tied for the fourth most ever by the Bulldogs in a CUSA road game.
- LA Tech defeated Sam Houston by 24, tied for the fourth largest margin of victory by the Bulldogs in a road CUSA game.
- The Bulldogs hit 10 three-pointers, marking the sixth time this season with 10+ triples in a game. LA Tech shot 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, its second-best percentage of the season.
- The Bulldogs scored 54 second-half points, marking the 15th time this season scoring 40+ in the second stanza.
- LA Tech missed just three free throws (18-of-21), shooting 85.7 percent from the foul line (eighth time this season shooting at least 80.0 percent from the charity stripe).
- For just the 27th time this season in Division I college basketball, a team shot at least 59 percent from the field, 50 percent from three, and 85 percent from the foul line. The Bulldogs achieved all three of these percentages.
- Five Bulldogs scored in double figures (fourth time this season). LA Tech used its fifth different starting lineup this season.
- Making just his third start of the season, AJ Bates recorded several career highs – 20 points, nine assists, and four steals. He became the sixth Bulldog this season to record a 20+ scoring performance.
- Al Green registered 19 points, two shy of tying his season high. He hit four three-pointers, marking the fifth time this season with 4+ triples in a game. He also had a season-high four assists.
- Daniel Batcho reached double-digit points for the 26th time this season, posting 18 points. He also led the Bulldogs in rebounding for the eighth time this season with nine boards.
- Amaree Abram scored in double figures for the 21st time with 14 points. He knocked down two three-pointers, giving him a team-leading 62 triples this season.
UP NEXT
LA Tech returns home to face New Mexico State on Thursday, March 6 inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
