By Kane McGuire, Louisiana Tech Associate Athletic Director/Strategic Communications
RUSTON — Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Isaiah Crawford who had a game-high 25 points, as Louisiana Tech won its fifth straight by defeating New Mexico State, 73-53, on Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
A subpar shooting performance in the first half led to LA Tech (15-6, 5-1 CUSA) holding just a 33-28 advantage at halftime. The Bulldogs exploded though in the second half behind their dynamic frontcourt of Crawford and Daniel Batcho who combined for 26 of the team’s 40 points.
NM State (9-12, 3-3 CUSA) did not shoot much better in the first stanza but did make four of its last five field goals to slice into a deficit that was as large as 10 points through the first 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 13-2 run, getting the first six points from Crawford. Then the forward found his fellow big man Batcho for an alley-oop dunk. The run continued with Tahlik Chavez burying a three-pointer from the wing followed by another alley-oop slam by Batcho to make it 46-30 with 14:54 to go.
Meanwhile, the Aggies continued to be held in check on the offensive end by another stellar effort on defense by LA Tech. NM State managed just eight points through the first 9-plus minutes of the second half.
The Bulldogs continued capped off their largest lead of the game after five straight points from Jordan Crawford including a wing three and a driving layup, giving the home team a 58-36 advantage with 10:29 left.
That largest lead was matched late in the game when Devin Ree banked in a three-pointer from the top of the arc, his third triple of the game.
The duo off the bench combined for 21 points (11 for Ree and 10 for Crawford) while the frontcourt went for a combined 37 points and 23 rebounds. Isaiah Crawfordadded eight rebounds to his scoring effort while Batcho tallied his ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 15 boards.
LA Tech shot 37.9 percent from the field, knocking down seven three-pointers and 22 free throws. NM State was limited to 32.8 percent from the field with Jordan Rawls the lone Aggie in double figures with 10 points.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
On pulling away in the second half …
“We just could not hit shots [in the first half]. We got great shots but could not hit them. We were guarding well, playing good defense, but what I talked to the team about at halftime were the possessions we left on the table. We talked about having a good first few possessions and really opened up the game. Then some of those shots in the second half went in.”
On Isaiah Crawford’s gear in conference …
“I think his confidence with he trusts he has for other teammates around him. When he is stagnate, he has all the coaches on the bench telling him to be aggressive. I don’t want him to dial it back. I want him to stay on the attack.”
On protecting home court …
“It gives you a chance. The road is hard enough as it is. The chance is to be great. If we can continue to be locked in at home and have a toughness mentality on the road, I would love to see where that takes us. We talk about our goals in the locker room but right now we talk about just having a 1-0 mentality. We want to just be 1-0 the next game. If we can do that I think we can be special.”
On Jordan Crawford …
“Hey was dynamic today. He was our offense in the first half when we could not score. We put him in and he goes and gets two layups at the rim. They could not really guard him outside. He is really shifty with the ball. I am proud of the growth he has shown. I am proud of Devin [Ree] too. He came off the bench too, put him in during tough moments, and he is efficient.”
Forward Isaiah Crawford
On the run the team is on right now …
“Non-conference definitely helped us. Playing tough teams on the road has made us better, even if we lost those games.”
On his performance …
“I just wanted to make sure I was aggressive. Any way to help my team out with a win is what I need to do.”
On the confidence of the team during the winning streak …
“I think it gives us a lot of confidence. We are trying to make sure we are level-headed and stay focused.”
NOTABLES
- With the win, LA Tech now trails in the all-time series with New Mexico State, 20-5. The Bulldogs won their second straight game over the Aggies in Ruston. The 20-point win was the largest ever in the series (first time ever defeating NM State by double figures).
- LA Tech collected its 15th win of the season, matching last season’s win total.
- LA Tech improved to 11-0 at home and 5-1 in CUSA play.
- The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to five games, the second time this season they have won five in a row.
- LA Tech held New Mexico State to 32.8 percent from the field, marking the 13th time this season they have held their opponent to less than 40 percent shooting.
- The Bulldogs have held four of their five CUSA opponents to less than 60 points.
- LA Tech pulled down 48 rebounds, tying its season high. It marked the 11th time this season the Bulldogs have grabbed 40+ boards in a single game.
- Isaiah Crawford tallied his sixth 20+ scoring performance of the season with a game-high 25 points. He has scored 20+ points in three of the last four games.
- Daniel Batcho registered his ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds. It marked the third time this season he has pulled down 15+ boards in a single game.
- Jordan Crawford had his third double-digit scoring game this season (10 points) and Devin Ree had his fourth with 11 points.
- Isaiah Crawford moved up in a pair of the program rankings – 1,318 points (29th) 534 rebounds (25th).
UP NEXT
LA Tech heads to Miami on Thursday, Feb. 1 to battle the FIU Panthers. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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