Louisiana Tech downs Southern, 74-59

RUSTON – A pair of standout scoring halves by Keaston Willis and Cobe Williams helped Louisiana Tech set a new program record by claiming its 31st straight non-conference victory inside the Thomas Assembly Center as the Bulldogs defeated Southern, 74-59, on Friday night.

Willis scored all 16 of his points in the first half, draining shots from all over the floor. Williams then came alive in the second half, tallying 15 of his game-high 21 points in the stanza.

Most important though, LA Tech (6-2) was able to record its fifth straight win by taking care of the basketball. The Bulldogs tied their season low with just 11 turnovers, a massive point of emphasis going up against a Southern (3-5) squad that came in ranked in the top 10 in the country in forcing TOs.

The Bulldogs were the first team to get some separation, breaking a 10-10 tie with 16:03 to go by going on 12-2 run that included nine straight points by Willis.

The lead gradually grew throughout the first half as the defense allowed just 10 more points by the Jaguars, building a 37-20 advantage at halftime.

The lead maxed out after the opening bucket of the second half as Williams’ driving layup made it 39-20. Southern slowly chipped away though, getting the deficit down to 10 at 53-43 with 8:01 to play.

Coming out of a timeout, the ‘Dogs got a little breathing room by making a 7-0 run that included a pair of dunks by Quandre Bullock and Kenny Hunter.

The Jags countered used the three-ball though to get back right back into it, trailing by single digits, 65-56, at the 3:19 mark, but Williams came up big by sinking a three-pointer of his own from the wing. He also collected his fourth steal down the stretch and tacked on four more points to seal the win.

Dravon Mangum and Bullock were two other Bulldogs in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as the team shot 48.3 percent from the field (28-58) while making nine total threes.

Southern was limited to 34.9 percent shooting from the field (22-63) and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc (5-20). The Jaguars were led in scoring by Brion Whitley who had 16 points.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester

“We only turned it over 11 times, which was a big focus for us against their pressure. We won the rebounding battle as well and we had more assists to turnovers. All of that is a good recipe for success. We had a “next man up” mentality again with Isaiah being out. Injuries are part of the game. We do not want to be strapped by one individual. We try to celebrate each other and play together.”

“You do not have to be great as individuals all game, but we have to be great as a team all game. Keaston was unbelievable in the first half. He could not miss. He got a little fatigued there, but then Cobe stepped up in the second half. We want to continue to have multiple guys step up like that.”

NOTABLES
With the 74-59 win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series over Southern, 6-2. The Bulldogs have won four straight meetings over the Jaguars.
LA Tech won its 31st straight non-conference home game, which set a new program record.
LA Tech won its fifth straight game, marking the 14th straight season they have put together at least five victories at one point.
LA Tech won its 25th straight game over a SWAC opponent. The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 versus the SWAC this season with victories over Alabama A&M and Southern.
The Bulldogs tied their season low with 11 turnovers going against one of the best teams in the country in forcing turnovers.
LA Tech registered a season-high eight blocks. The Bulldogs had just nine total blocks in the previous seven games combined.
LA Tech recorded double-digit steals (10) for the third time this season.
Cobe Williams notched his fourth career 20-point scoring game (third of the season) with a game-high 21 points. He also had a season-high seven rebounds, matched his season high with six assists and four steals, and tied his career high with two blocks.
Keaston Willis tallied 16 points, all coming in the first half.He sank four three-pointers, giving him a team-high 24 for the season. It was the 27th time in his collegiate career of making at least four triples in a single game.
Dragon Mangum, making his third start of the season, reached double-digit points for a second straight game with 11 points. Made three three-pointers for the third time this season.
Quandre Bullock anchored the bulldogs in rebounding with a season-high eight boards to go along with 10 points.

UP NEXT
LA Tech has a week off before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Wyoming. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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