(Photo: Josh McDaniel)
RUSTON — Every game tells a story, and this season’s non-conference slate is full of them.
Whether it’s Mike Green lighting up Memorial Gym against the rival Cajuns or the Bulldogs shocking top-seeded Nevada in a WAC Tournament thriller, these opponents have been part of some unforgettable chapters in Louisiana Tech men’s basketball history. Before the ball tips this November, here’s a look back at some fun facts and notable games that connect the past to the present.
NOV. 4 AT NEVADA
Fun Facts
First-ever non-conference meeting between LA Tech and Nevada (all 15 previous matchups came as Western Athletic Conference opponents from 2001-12).
Despite Nevada winning all six meetings from 2003-06, the battles between LA Tech’s Paul Millsap and Nevada’s Nick Fazekas were legendary.
Millsap averaged 17.8 points and 13.2 rebounds in those games.
Fazekas countered with 20.0 points and 11.2 rebounds.
Millsap edged Fazekas for 2004 WAC Freshman of the Year after posting 20-20 games in both meetings versus the Wolfpack.
Three of LA Tech’s six wins over Nevada have come in Reno, including back-to-back victories in 2002 and 2003 and a 2009 win that snapped a 12-game skid to the Wolfpack.
Notable Game – March 9, 2012: WAC Tournament Shock
Top-seeded Nevada entered the 2012 WAC semifinals as a heavy favorite, having eliminated LA Tech twice before in the league tournament and winning 18 of the last 20 meetings. Up 71-69 with 2:53 left, it looked like another heartbreak for the Bulldogs. But LA Tech answered with a 7-0 run to stun the Wolfpack, 78-73, and advance to its first-ever WAC Tournament championship game. Trevor Gaskins scored a game-high 21 points, followed by WAC Freshman of the Year Raheem Appleby who had 17.
NOV. 19 AT INDIANA STATE / NOV. 26 VS. INDIANA STATE
Fun Facts
This will not be the first time the two schools play twice in the same season – LA Tech and Indiana State also had a home-and-home in 1974-75 (Larry Bird was not yet on the roster in case you were wondering).
LA Tech’s 1974 opener in Terre Haute marked its first-ever basketball game in the state of Indiana. Since then, the Bulldogs have only played in Indiana three more times (most recently vs. Indiana in Bloomington in 2019).
Hosting in-season multi-team events (MTEs) has become a trend. LA Tech has hosted three since 2014 and remains unbeaten in home MTE games (7-0), with the last sweep coming in 2023 against Southern Utah and McNeese State.
Notable Game – Jan. 27, 1975: Turning Point vs. Sycamores
After dropping 11 of their first 15 games, the Bulldogs badly needed momentum. Hosting Indiana State in a rematch, LA Tech clung to a 31-27 halftime lead before the Sycamores surged ahead 47-44 with a 12-2 run. The game stayed tight until the final minute when Lanky Wells broke a 63-63 tie with a bucket, followed by two Mike McConathy free throws that sealed the 67-63 win. It sparked a turnaround for the season as the Bulldogs won eight of their last 10 contests.
DEC. 3 AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Fun Facts
Only the second-ever game for LA Tech at Georgia Southern (five total meetings). The lone Statesboro matchup came in the 1969-70 season opener.
When LA Tech first played in the state of Montana (1987 Champion Holiday Classic in Missoula), one of its opponents was Georgia Southern – a 63-46 loss.
In last year’s 77-63 win in Ruston, Kaden Cooper (25 pts, 8 reb) and Daniel Batcho (22 pts, 8 reb) became the first Bulldog duo in at least 20 years to each post 22+ points and 8+ boards in the same game.
Notable Game – Dec. 16, 1972: Mike Green’s Big Night
Hosting Georgia Southern for the first time ever at Memorial Gym, LA Tech trailed late in the first half before closing on a 13-2 run to take a 45-38 lead. The Eagles cut it to one with under three minutes left, but Hall of Famer Mike Green (31 pts, 13 reb) carried the Bulldogs to an 85-80 win. It was one of his 16 games that year with 30+ points and one of his 25 double-doubles (out of 26 games).
DEC. 13 VS. UL-LAFAYETTE
Fun Facts
Longtime in-state rivalry dates back to 1926, with 170 total meetings on record.
The schools have shared conference ties in six different leagues, most recently the Sun Belt until LA Tech departed for the WAC in 2001. The rivalry will resume in-league when LA Tech rejoins the SBC.
As non-conference foes, they have played 18 times – including every season since 2013 in a rolling home-and-home series. The series has been dead even since then at 6-6.
Notable Game – Jan. 11, 1971: Top-10 Showdown in Ruston
No. 1-ranked Southwestern Louisiana came to Ruston to face No. 8 LA Tech in front of 6,000 fans at Memorial Gym. Bulldog greats Mike Green and Jim Jenkins each scored 22, while the defense limited Cajun star Dwight “Bo” Lamar to 10-of-32 shooting. LA Tech pulled out a thrilling 103-94 victory in one of the most hyped games in Louisiana basketball history, a win that catapulted the Bulldogs to a No. 1 ranking.
DEC. 17 AT TULANE
Fun Facts
LA Tech and Tulane have met four times in three different locations: New Orleans, Monroe, and Baton Rouge.
In the 2004 Louisiana Classic played in the state’s capital, Paul Millsap played all 40 minutes and put up 25 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in a 69-66 win. (He was the last Bulldog to post that stat line in a single game.)
This matchup is part of a home-and-home series. Tulane will make its first-ever trip to Ruston in 2026.
Notable Game – Jan. 16, 2014: Defensive Domination
For head coach Michael White, who grew up on Tulane’s campus, a road win in New Orleans was extra special. Behind hot shooting from Jaron Johnson and Kenyon McNeail (14 pts each), LA Tech rolled 73-45 in a conference game inside Devlin Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs smothered Tulane defensively, holding the Green Wave to just 10 made field goals on 23.3% shooting – tied for the fewest makes by a LA Tech opponent in the last 25 years.