LA Tech’s Boykins, Duruji garner C-USA postseason honors

RUSTON – Two days before they take the court in the Conference USA Tournament, Louisiana Tech’s Jacobi Boykins and Anthony Duruji received postseason honors as voted on by the league head coaches.

For the second year in a row, Boykins was selected Third Team All-Conference USA as the lone senior leads LA Tech in scoring (14.6 points per game) and rebounding (5.0 boards per game).

He has posted a team-best 24 double-digit scoring games and seven 20+ scoring games. Much of that scoring damage has been done from beyond the arc as the sharpshooter set the career and single season program record for made three-pointers this season.

The lefty currently has 264 threes in his career which also ranks seventh in C-USA history. This season, he has made 93 triples (shooting 40 percent) which ranks 31st in the country. He has made at least four threes in 11 games and at least six threes in five games.

He has also been incredible from the foul line this year, missing only eight free throws (89-of-97) for a 91.8 shooting percentage. That percentage is tops in the league and ranks fifth in the nation. As it stands, it would be the second highest free throw shooting percentage in a single season in school history.

Some of the St. Petersburg, Florida native standout performances include being named the Tournament MVP of the Cancun Challenge, leading the Bulldogs to a championship with an average of 13 points and eight boards per game.

He was also named to the New Orleans Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.5 points per game and totaling nine three-pointers.

It is the 10th time a Bulldog has earned all-conference honors, the most of any team in C-USA since LA Tech joined the league in 2013-14.

Meanwhile, Duruji was one of the five players selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team. After seeing limited action during the non-conference slate, the forward started 17 of the 18 league games.

The Germantown, Maryland native is averaging 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He also leads the team in blocks with a total of 42, the fifth most of any freshman in program history. It is also the most of any freshman in the conference while his average of 1.4 rejections per game ranks sixth in the entire league (multiple blocks in 14 games).

He was named the C-USA Freshman of the Week in week 11 after his career performance against North Texas where he registered a career-high 25 points, seven boards and three blocks. Two of his 25 points came at the free throw line with 0.9 seconds left, securing a 66-65 victory for the ‘Dogs.

Duruji has totaled 10 double-digit scoring games and two 20+ scoring games while shooting 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

He becomes the third Bulldog to make the C-USA All-Freshman team, joining DaQuan Bracey and Jalen Harris who were selected a season ago.

LA Tech will face off against North Texas on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. in the first round of the C-USA Tournament at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The matchup will be streamed exclusively by Stadium on Facebook.

For all the latest in Bulldog Basketball, follow them on Twitter (@LATechHoops), Instagram (@LATechHoops) and Facebook (LATechMBB) or visit the official website at LATechSports.com.

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
Jon Elmore, Marshall
Nick King, Middle Tennessee
Ahmad Caver, Old Dominion
Chris Cokley, UAB
Justin Johnson, WKU

Second Team
C.J. Burks, Marshall
Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee
Roosevelt Smart, North Texas
Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA
Darius Thompson, WKU

Third Team
Brian Beard, Jr., FIU
Ronald Delph, Florida Atlantic
Jacobi Boykins, LA Tech
Adjin Penava, Marshall
B.J. Stith, Old Dominion

All-Freshman Team
Anthony Duruji, LA Tech
Zack Bryant, UAB
Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA
Keaton Wallace, UTSA
Taveion Hollingsworth, WKU