ESTERO, Fla. – Louisiana Tech needed yet another come-from-behind win at the Gulf Coast Showcase and they got it, coming back from 10 down to defeat Eastern Kentucky, 78-69, on Wednesday at Hertz Arena.
With only nine Bulldogs making the trip, LA Tech's (7-0) physical and mental toughness was tested in every game at the multi-team event. First, the 'Dogs battled back from 11 down to defeat SIU in overtime. Less than 24 hours later, the team overcame an 8-point deficit to win in the closing seconds versus Richmond.
Less than 24 hours after that, the Bulldogs trailed EKU (4-3) for almost the entire first half and were ultimately behind by eight with 13:36 remaining in the contest.
The Colonels held the lead in large part due to the three-pointer, draining 12 of them throughout the game. As for LA Tech, the three-ball was not falling.
Their first three-pointer did not come until 2:30 to go in the first half when Jordan Crawford buried his first one of the season. Devin Ree followed with one right before halftime to help slice what was then too an 8-point deficit down to one.
The same scenario played out trailing 43-51 as Al Green and Ree went back-to-back from beyond the arc. That was followed by a dump-off pass from Crawford to Will Allen to tie things up at 51-51.
Amaree Abram, who went scoreless in the first half, scored five straight points to give the 'Dogs a 56-53 advantage (their largest lead since being up 3-0) at the midway point of the second half.
Helping LA Tech extend its lead was Kaden Cooper who also went scoreless in the first stanza. He had an offensive rebound and putback as well as a fastbreak layup to make it 64-56 in favor of the Bulldogs with 6:54 to go.
Crawford, Abram, and Cooper refused to let the Colonels back in it. Abram buried a late shot clock three-pointer. Another big offensive possession came when Crawford drove the middle of the lane and got the floater to go to give the 'Dogs their largest lead of the game at 73-63 and 2:21 remaining.
EKU made things interesting late, connecting on back-to-back three-pointers to get to within four. After an offensive foul was called on Abram, the Colonels' George Kimble III had an 18-foot jumper to make it a one-possession game, but Cooper came flying in for the block and grabbed the rebound. He then calmly made two free throws to put the game away.
LA Tech ended up shooting 53.6 percent from the field (went 16-of-27 in the second half). Daniel Batcho had his best game of the tournament, registering 19 points, eight boards, and two blocks. Abram finished with 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds. Green contributed 12 off the bench and Ree tallied 11 points.
EKU shot 40.0 percent from the field and were led in scoring by Kimble III who had 21 points. Devontae Blanton, the Colonels leading scorer, finished with 17 (had just six in the second half).
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester On the bench production helping with the win …"I am proud of them. I challenge them every day, telling them everything they get is going to be earned. I try guys that I build trust in. Those guys showed me they were ready to play. I knew Jordan [Crawford] would be fresh. I knew we would need multiple ball handlers because of the way Eastern Kentucky pressed. He came up in a huge way. He was dynamic. We had contributions from a bunch of guys."
On the second-half performances by Abram and Cooper …"They both joined the party in a big way in the second half. We were just dynamic in the second half. I think it was all sparked by us guarding them better."
On winning the glass …"The one area we need to improve in is defensive rebounding. I think our length and our size helped us in a major way. We had a couple of inches on them at probably every position. I felt like when it got into a jumping contest, our athleticism was able to win. We also got offensive rebounds which I have been fighting for us to get more. A lot of them were huge down the stretch."
NOTABLES
- With the win, LA Tech and Eastern Kentucky are now tied, 2-2, in the all-time series.
- LA Tech remains undefeated at 7-0, the best start to the season since 1984. It is tied for the fourth-best start in program history.
- LA Tech improved to 6-0 in playing at the Gulf Coast Showcase (won the 2013 GCS).
- The Bulldogs improved to 5-0 away from home this season, winning one road game and four neutral-site games. They have now won 11 of their last 13 games away from home dating back to last season.
- LA Tech shot 53.6 percent from the field, its second-best shooting percentage in a game this season.
- The Bulldogs registered five blocks, marking the sixth time in seven games with at least five rejections.
- Daniel Batcho led LA Tech in scoring for a third time this season with 19 points. He has scored in double figures in 14 straight games.
- Al Green score in double figures for the third time with 12 points.
- Amaree Abram has now scored in double figures in all seven games, posting 14. He also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds.
- Kaden Cooper led the Bulldogs in rebounding for the sixth game this season with a game-high 10 boards.
- Amaree Abram recorded two steals to give him a team-high 19 on the season. He has registered at least one steal in all seven games this season.
- Daniel Batcho tallied two blocks, marking the 23rd time in 35 career games as a Bulldog with multiple rejections.
UP NEXT
LA Tech returns home to the Thomas Assembly center to face Southern on Saturday, Nov. 30. Tipoff is set for 10:30 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
