By Kane McGuire, Louisiana Tech Associate Athletic Director/Strategic Communications and Digital Marketing; featured photo by Kane McGuire
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Louisiana Tech was 5.4 seconds away from getting a road sweep, but a last-second layup by WKU resulted in a heartbreaking 64-63 loss for the Bulldogs on Saturday night inside E.A. Diddle Arena.
The matchup featured 10 ties and 16 lead changes. The 15th lead change was when Daniel Batcho calmly sank two clutch free throws to give LA Tech (18-10, 7-8 CUSA) a 63-62 lead with just over five ticks on the clock.
Following a timeout by WKU (15-12, 6-8 CUSA), Braxton Bayless split the Bulldog’s full-court defense down the middle of the floor and managed to get all the way to the rim for the game-winning layup.
Both teams could barely score in the first half, a 20-minute stretch that resulted in the Hilltoppers owning a 24-19 lead at the midway point.
It was a stretch by AJ Bates in the second half that gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the 8:55 mark in the first half. The freshman scored nine straight points for LA Tech, resulting in a 45-44 advantage with 8:11 remaining in the contest.
WKU would stretch its lead back out to four with a little over two minutes to go, but two free throws by Batcho were followed by a three-pointer from the wing by Bates to make it 58-57 Bulldogs.
The Hilltoppers’ Don McHenry countered with an old-fashioned three-point play on their end, but another big three-pointer came for LA Tech. This one by Amaree Abram who buried a triple, once again giving the ‘Dogs a one-point edge and only 37 seconds remaining.
Another swing occurred on the following possession with Bayless sinking two free throws after getting fouled. Following a timeout by head coach Talvin Hester, Bates found Batcho down low and the power forward was mauled, giving him two free throws which he sank but the Hilltoppers would escape on a made layup just before the buzzer.
LA Tech shot just 37.2 percent from the field (16-of-43) but were outstanding from the free throw line, making 23 of its 25 attempts. Despite foul trouble, Abram finished with a team-high 21 points while Bates added 14 off the bench and Batcho tacked on 10.
WKU shot 45.6 percent from the field (26-of-57) and were anchored by Bayless who had a game-high 27 points.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
On the final play …
“We did not execute at all. We just let them drive right by us. Nobody took the initiative to guard the ball. Everybody thought it was somebody else’s job. Nobody was in the position they were supposed to be in and they got all the way to the rim. The sad part is we had a timeout to call the play. Everybody knew their assignment in the huddle. We work on this every day. It should have taken him at least four seconds to get across half court let alone get all the way to the rim.”
On only being down five at halftime …
“I knew we would get it going offensively at some point. We just had to settle down. WKU had its pressure ramped up early in the game. They had to account for Batcho at the rim which allowed us to get open shots to the point where we shot a pretty good percentage. Amaree Abram hit some big shots and we made our free throws. But, this is a testament to the game being 40 minutes long. Not 39 minutes and 55 seconds. I am disappointed in the way this one ended. I think it goes back to maturity and being locked into the moment.”
On AJ Bates …
“I am gaining a lot of trust in AJ. He only had one turnover, had two steals. He really guards the ball. When he is in the game he has become a security blanket for me. He is going to keep growing and getting better.”
NOTABLES
- With the loss, the series between LA Tech and WKU is now tied, 23-23. Nine of the last 17 meetings have been decided by one possession or in overtime.
- LA Tech scored 44 points in the second half, marking the 14th time this season the Bulldogs have scored 40+ points in the second stanza.
- LA Tech shot a season-best 92.0 percent from the free throw line (23-of-25). It is the best shooting percentage from the foul line by the Bulldogs in the last 25 years (min. 25 attempts).
- Amaree Abram registered his third 20+ scoring performance of the season with a team-high 21 points (two shy of tying his season high). He knocked down four three-pointers (fourth time this season with 4+ threes), giving him a team-high 60 made triples on the season.
- AJ Bates came off the bench to score 14 points, his third game this season scoring in double figures.
- Daniel Batcho reached double-digit points for the 25th time this season (had 10 points). He also had two blocks, marking the 16th time this season with multiple rejections in a game. He now has 126 blocks for his Bulldog career, the fifth most in program history.
- Jordan Crawford pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, marking the third time this season he has led the Bulldogs on the boards in a game. He also dished out four assists, giving him 175 for his Bulldog career.
- Sean Newman Jr. dished out five assists (25th time this season with 5+ dimes in a game). He now has 228 assists on the season.
UP NEXT
LA Tech closes out its three-game road swing on Saturday, March 1 at Sam Houston. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
