The East Tennessee State Buccaneers square off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the first round of the SoCon tournament at Mandalay Bay Event Center. Action begins at 11:30 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 28 and can be seen on CCS.
The Buccaneers are expecting a better outcome after their 73-67 loss to Chattanooga in the 4. Desonta Bradford was the game’s high scorer with 14 points. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 68-52 loss to Old Dominion in the 3. Erik McCree had a good shooting night, leading the team with 15 points.
Alex Hamilton has upped his play over the last five games for the Bulldogs, averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.6 three-pointers.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. East Tennessee State ranks 11th in the nation in defensive efficiency (104.9), while Louisiana Tech is fourth (98.4). Also, the Bulldogs commit the fifth-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 17.0%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Buccaneers causes the fifth-most (opponents’ TO% of 18.9%).
The Buccaneers have gone 23-11 Straight Up (SU) and 16-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Buccaneers prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking sixth in the nation with 239 total three-pointers allowed (7.0 per game).
On the other side, the Bulldogs have a record of 12-12 ATS and 23-9 SU. The Louisiana Tech defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 199 field goals from three-point range (6.0 per game).
East Tennessee State and Louisiana Tech will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – LaTech, ATS Winner – LaTech
Notes
Ranked 11th, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 104.9 points per 100 possessions. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs rank 100th in offense, scoring 108.8 points in the same number of possessions.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers average a field goal percentage of 46.2% this season. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a losing record of 3-6 when opponents have a FG% of 46.2% or greater.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers rank lower for their field goal percentage (60th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (49th), but the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (71st) than eFG% ranking (100th).
Louisiana Tech, the 71st-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.3 per game. East Tennessee State does worse, ranked 129th with 3.7.
East Tennessee State ranks 198th in offensive rebounds, while Louisiana Tech ranks 53rd in defensive rebounds.
On average, East Tennessee State forces a turnover rate of 18.9%, ranked fifth in the nation. When Louisiana Tech turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an exceptional 9-3 record.
