The No.4-seeded Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (23-8) get together with the Old Dominion Monarchs (20-12) in the third round of the CUSA tournament at Legacy Arena. The game starts at 3:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10.
The Bulldogs lost to Western Kentucky 96-90 in their last game. Alex Hamilton was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 33. The Monarchs, meanwhile, are coming off a 72-46 win over Florida Atlantic in the 2. Zoran Talley played well, accumulating 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Hamilton has been playing at a high level as of late for the Bulldogs, averaging 27.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.0 three-pointers over the last five games. On the other side, the Monarchs have been led by Brandan Stith. He has been on fire, averaging 12.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 4.2 blocks in the same time frame.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Louisiana Tech ranks 22nd in the nation in defensive efficiency (98.2), while Old Dominion is 26th (98.6). Also, the Monarchs commit the fourth-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 14.5%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Bulldogs causes the 34th-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.9%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Monarchs won the first game 72-46. Talley was a top performer in the victory with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Notes
In its last game, Old Dominion won by a margin of 26 points. Louisiana Tech is 7-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Old Dominion has an 8-1 record in blowouts.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 98.2 (ranked 22nd), while the Old Dominion Monarchs have an offensive rating of 108.8 (ranked 111th).
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 46.3% this season. The Old Dominion Monarchs have a subpar record of 1-8 when opponents have a FG% of 46.3% or greater.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Old Dominion Monarchs both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Louisiana Tech is 86th and 63rd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Old Dominion ranks 284th and 182nd in these categories.
The 18th-ranked team in the category, Old Dominion has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.47 this season. Louisiana Tech ranks lower at 122nd with an A/TO of 1.14.
Louisiana Tech ranks 77th in rebounds per game with 38.2 and Old Dominion ranks 60th with 38.8 rebounds per game.
The Old Dominion Monarchs make an average of 5.8 steals per game. When the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs give up 5 or more steals, they are a tremendous 16-5.
