HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Louisiana Tech had its postseason hopes come to an end in heartbreaking fashion, falling 77-75 in double overtime to Middle Tennessee late Thursday night in the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinals at the VBC Propst Arena.
LA Tech (20-12) had a chance to pull the upset despite having one of its worst shooting efforts of the season, going 1-of-15 from three-point range and an uncharacteristic 14-of-26 from the free throw line.
There was also the big loss of Daniel Batcho who went down hard with an injury in the first half. The two-time First Team All-CUSA selection and CUSA Defensive Player of the Year tried to give it a go multiple times, but he would only 16 minutes.
Batcho and the Bulldogs were in a good rhythm to start the game, up 25-18 with 7:55 to go. Batcho suffered his injury soon thereafter and Middle Tennessee (22-10) used that to its advantage, outscoring LA Tech, 22-6, the remainder of the half to take a 9-point lead into halftime.
To get back into the game, the 'Dogs had to get back to playing defense after allowing 40 first-half points. They did that. And Al Green was doing it on the offensive end, scoring eight of the team's first 10 points in the second stanza.
LA Tech slowly chipped away. They would finally tie the game up at 58-58 after three made free throws by Sean Newman Jr. with 2:40 to go. Then down two with less than a minute left, Green got a short jumper off the glass to go down that would ultimately force overtime.
Both teams could only score four points in the first OT. Again, Green stepped up and knocked down two free throws with 21 ticks left. A steal by Amaree Abram gave the Bulldogs a chance to win it, but Newman Jr's halfcourt heave came up short.
The first three-pointer finally fell in the second OT as Newman Jr. gave LA Tech a 69-68 advantage, its first since the 5:52 mark in the first stanza. The lead was short-lived as the Blue Raiders scored five straight points.
The Bulldogs continued to fight, getting back-to-back second-chance buckets by Sean Elkinton and Abram to tie it at 73-73. The two teams traded baskets again, tying it for the 11th time. MTSU regained the lead though with 16 seconds remaining on a putback of its own. LA Tech's last chance to win it or force a third OT came up short with a pair of missed shots.
Green would finish with a season-high 28 points. Newman Jr. had 10 points and a game-high seven assists. Abram added 13 and Batcho had 10 points and two blocks in his limited action.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester On the loss …"I have never felt good about a loss, but if there is a possible way to feel gratitude for this team and the way they fought tonight, I am as proud as I can be. I thought our defense was not good in the first half, giving up 40 points. To get back in the game, we had to guard. We kept throwing our backup bigs at them, rotating to stay fresh and try to get back into it on the defensive end of the floor. And we did, which gave us a chance. I felt like this team left it all on the floor."
On losing Daniel Batcho to injury …"He tried to go back into the game in the second half. I looked at him with about 15 minutes left and he said he could not go. He will be remembered as one of the better big men this program has had in a long time. He chose Louisiana Tech over a lot of schools. He had a really good career here and I am proud of him for that. I am thankful he chose to stay in time where commitment does not mean a lot."
Guard Al Green On the game …"Our defense a little sluggish. In the second half, we had to step it up for our brother Batcho. We kept fighting. Shots weren't falling. When they weren't falling, we were trying to attack."
Guard Sean Newman Jr. … On the game … "Coming into tournament games are always tough. Neutral site, unfamiliar rims. Things can go a multitude a way. I thought we fought. Batcho went down, guys fouled out. We were subbing and subbing, everybody was fighting. Tough loss."
NOTABLES
- With the loss, LA Tech now leads in the all-time series versus Middle Tennessee, 17-9.
- LA Tech played its first double overtime game since 2015 and the first ever for the Bulldogs in the CUSA Tournament. It was the first loss of the season that went into extra time (were 2-0).
- Al Green scored a season-high 28 points. It was also the most points ever scored by a Bulldog in the CUSA Tournament. He also tied his career high with nine rebounds.
- Kaden Cooper had a career-high 14 rebounds. It was the second most boards ever by a Bulldog in a CUSA Tournament game.
- Sean Newman Jr. dished out a game-high seven assists. He finished his season with 245 assists, third most in program history and CUSA history. It was the 28th time this season he has had at least five dimes in a game.
