Louisiana Tech hammers FIU, 93-53

MIAMI – Each of the last six meetings between Louisiana Tech and FIU had been decided by five points or less, including the last two that went into overtime.

That was most definitely not the case on Thursday night as the Bulldogs dominated the Panthers in a 93-53 lopsided victory inside the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.

LA Tech (16-6, 6-1 CUSA) was as near perfect as you can get in a basketball game. On offense, the Bulldogs shot 62.5 percent from the field, 52.4 percent from behind the arc, and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line.

Their numbers were equally as impressive on the defensive end, which is what the ‘Dogs pride themselves on. FIU (7-15, 2-5 CUSA) came into the game averaging 76.2 points, second most in the league. The Panthers were held to a season-low 53.

The area that FIU was hoping to generate some offense was forcing turnovers. That did not work either as LA Tech outscored them, 25-9, in points off turnovers. Then there was the paint where the ‘Dogs overpowered the Panthers, outscoring them 48-26.

Doing the scoring damage from deep was Tahlik Chavez who buried a season-high seven three-pointers in route to a game-high 27 points. Doing the damage on the interior was Daniel Batcho who put up his third straight double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds (plus three blocks).

Eight of Batcho’s 20 points came in the first five minutes, putting LA Tech up 15-9. It was not long after that when FIU last saw its deficit be in single digits. Sean Newman Jr. and Chavez buried back-to-back three-pointers, igniting a 14-0 run for the Bulldogs.

Newman Jr. was steady with the rock all night long against the pressure of the Panthers, dishing out a season-high 10 assists to only one turnover. Several of those were dished to Chavez who scored the Bulldogs’ last 14 of the first half, draining four of his threes to give LA Tech a 59-26 lead at halftime.

The game was all but over at that point as the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to six games (three coming on the road), remaining atop the CUSA standings.

Isaiah Crawford was the third Bulldog in double figures, doing a little bit of everything with 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. The lone Panther with double-digit points was Jayden Brewer with 18.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester

On the road win …
“We did a great job in the first half of taking care of the basketball. When your point guard has 10 assists and only one turnover against a team like FIU that presses like they do, it gives you a chance. It does not guarantee you a win, but it gives you a chance.”

On Tahlik Chavez …
“Tahlik has that capability. Those are things you are not shocked by. The opportunity to get those looks was important. We rebounded the ball well. At the end of the day, we defended. For a team that put up 90 points in their last game, we held them to 53. If we are going to be successful, we have to pack our defense and take it on the road. Our defense turned into easy offense for us.”

On Isaiah Crawford’s unselfishness …
“He could have got 20, 30. At the end of the day, winning is important to him. Tahlik was open on a lot of those kicks. FIU was doubling him and he realized that early. He was spraying the ball around, Devin and Tahlik were making shots. It made it easier. And then when Batcho got it going, he is a load down there. If we keep playing together like this we could be special.”

NOTABLES
• With the win, LA Tech now leads the all-time series versus FIU, 12-8. The Bulldogs won just their second game over the Panthers in Miami since becoming CUSA opponents (2-5).
• LA Tech won its 16th game of the season, surpassing last season’s win total of 15.
• LA Tech won its sixth straight game, all coming in league play. It ties for the Bulldogs second longest winning streak in CUSA play in program history.
• LA Tech won its 120th CUSA game.
• The 40-point win tied for the third largest in a Division I team this season. It was the largest win ever by the Bulldogs in a CUSA road game (previous best was a 31-point win at Southern Miss in 2019).
• LA Tech outrebounded FIU, 39-23. The Bulldogs have outrebounded 17 of their 22 opponents.
• LA Tech improved to 15-0 this season when holding its opponent to less than 70 points.
• LA Tech held FIU to 32.2 percent shooting, marking the 14th time this season they have held their opponent to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
• The Bulldogs went a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line, marking the third time in program history they have shot 100 percent at the charity stripe (minimum 10 attempts).
• Tahlik Chavez buried seven three-pointers, tied for the fourth most in a single game in program history (tied for second most by a Bulldog in a CUSA game). It was the fifth time in his collegiate career making at least seven three-pointers.
• He tallied his fifth 20-point scoring game of the season with a game-high 27 points.
• Daniel Batcho registered his 10th double-double of the season (third straight). He is the first Bulldog since Kenneth Lofton, Jr. in 2022 to have three straight double-doubles.
• Sean Newman Jr. dished out a season-high 10 assists (most by a Bulldog since Jordan Crawford had 12 against Jarvis Christian in 2022). It is the 15th time this season with at least four assists in a single game.
• Devin Ree made his first career start as a Bulldog, scoring nine points.
UP NEXT
LA Tech is back in the Thomas Assembly Center on Wednesday, Feb. 7 to take on WKU. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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