Louisiana Tech's Bulldogs Battle Grand Canyon in Key Home Game

About Louisiana Tech (9-2)

In their recent game against Georgia Southern, Louisiana Tech showed their resilience. Trailing for much of the game, they went on a remarkable 29-11 run over the last 12 minutes to secure a 77-63 victory. The Bulldogs were highly efficient on offense, shooting an impressive 53.9 percent from the field. This marked their sixth game this season shooting over 50 percent and the fourth time in their last five contests, where they shot 51.1 percent.

Daniel Batcho was near flawless from the field, going 9-of-10 for 22 points, his fourth game of 20+ points this season. Currently averaging 19.5 points per game, he ranks 28th in the country while shooting an astonishing 74.5 percent from the field, the best in the nation. Batcho has shot at least 80 percent seven times in 11 games. He also extended his streak of consecutive games with a block to 15, bringing his season total to 31, which is third most in the country. He needs just two more blocks to become the eighth Bulldog in program history with 100 rejections.

Kaden Cooper's Best Game as a Bulldog

Kaden Cooper had his best game as a Bulldog against Georgia Southern, posting a career-high 25 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. He scored 14 of Louisiana Tech's last 18 points during their late run to defeat the Eagles. With 26 steals ranking 13th in the country and averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game, he has led the team in boards seven times this season.

Sean Newman Jr.: Top Passer in College Basketball

Sean Newman Jr. continues to be one of the top passers in college basketball. He had 11 assists against Georgia Southern, his fifth game this season with 10+ dimes, tied for third most in program history. He now has 99 total assists for an average of 9.0 assists per game, both ranking second in the nation.

Freshman AJ Bates Stepping Up

Due to injuries, the Bulldogs have a short bench. However, freshman AJ Bates has stepped up as a key contributor. After playing a total of 54 minutes in seven of Louisiana Tech's first nine games, he has averaged 20.5 minutes off the bench in the last two contests against UL-Lafayette and Georgia Southern. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in those games.

About Grand Canyon (6-3)

Grand Canyon had an outstanding 2023-24 season, going 30-5 and winning the Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament title. They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an upset win over Saint Mary's. GCU is the unanimous favorite to finish first in the WAC and began the season receiving votes in the AP preseason poll.

The Lopes had won four straight games against Norfolk State, Stanford, Hawaii, and Life Pacific before falling 73-68 to Georgia in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta. They rallied from a 10-point deficit with three minutes to go and had a chance to tie the game with a pair of three-point attempts, but the shots did not fall, and UGA sealed the win at the foul line.

Reigning WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster, who averaged 21.0 points per game last season, decided to return to Grand Canyon for one more year of college basketball after testing the NBA Draft waters. After missing the first two games of the season, he returned against Arizona State and has since averaged a team-best 15.3 points along with 6.0 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures five times, including a 23-point effort against Hawaii.

Offensively, GCU is one of the best teams in the country at getting to the foul line. They average 26.8 free throw attempts per game, ranking 11th in the country. They have taken 25+ free throws in seven of their nine games this season, averaging 19.9 made FTs per contest.

Defensively, the Lopes apply heavy pressure and try to force turnovers. They currently rank 17th in the country in turnovers forced per game at 16.44. Many of those are live ball turnovers as they also average 10.4 steals per game, ninth most in the nation.

The Series

Louisiana Tech and Grand Canyon faced each other for the first time last season, with the Lopes winning 73-70 in Phoenix.

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