Louisiana Tech (7\u20134) tips off Conference USA play Monday night at home, welcoming UTEP (4\u20137) to Ruston.<\/p>\n
Game Details<\/p>\n
Date:\u00a0December 29, 2025<\/p>\n
Kickoff Time:\u00a06:30 PM<\/p>\n
Location:\u00a0Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, LA<\/p>\n
Streaming:\u00a0ESPN+<\/p>\n
Radio:\u00a0KXKZ 107.5 FM<\/p>\n
Team Records<\/p>\n
Louisiana Tech:\u00a07-4<\/p>\n
UTEP:\u00a04-7<\/p>\n
Head Coaches<\/p>\n
Talvin Hester:\u00a0(64-43 in his fourth season at Louisiana Tech)<\/p>\n
Joe Golding:\u00a0(74-70 in his fifth season at UTEP) <\/p>\n
LA Tech Preview<\/p>\n
Louisiana Tech opens Conference USA play as one of the nation\u2019s premier defensive teams. Under Talvin Hester, the Bulldogs are holding opponents to just 55.5 points per game and a stingy 34.9 percent shooting from the field.<\/p>\n
Offense, however, has been harder to come by. Through eight games against Division I competition, Tech is averaging only 64.2 points per contest.<\/p>\n
The Dunkin\u2019 Dogs have struggled with efficiency, ranking 238th nationally in two-point field goal percentage, 365th from beyond the arc, and 335th at the free-throw line.<\/p>\n
AJ Bates has been a consistent bright spot, leading the Bulldogs in scoring at 12.3 points per game while shooting an efficient 46 percent from the floor.<\/p>\n
UTEP Preview<\/p>\n
Joe Golding\u2019s squad picked up its first Division I victory of the season Monday night, knocking off North Dakota State 76\u201366.<\/p>\n
Elijah Jones powered the Miners with a game-high 25 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting performance. Jamal West Jr. and Caleb Blackwell provided strong support, each scoring 15 points.<\/p>\n
Creating turnovers has long been a hallmark of Golding\u2019s teams in El Paso, and this season is no exception. The Miners currently rank 30th nationally in turnover rate.<\/p>\n
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