By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
After clearing a hurdle on the road Thursday night, Louisiana Tech’s men’s basketball team tries to maintain an unbeaten homecourt mark Sunday.
The Bulldogs snapped a four-game road skid by winning at injury-riddled Middle Tennessee and host Liberty Sunday at 2.
Northwestern State has a Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. women, 3 p.m. men) doubleheader in Prather Coliseum against UIW.
Grambling will avoid the incoming wintry weather blast with its Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule taking both teams on a Florida swing Saturday and Monday.
Here’s a snapshot of the area’s Division I college basketball programs:
MEN
Louisiana Tech: 11-6 overall, 1-1 in Conference USA
The Bulldogs hung tough down the stretch for a 60-52 win at MTSU Thursday night, outscoring the Blue Raiders by nine at the free throw line (making 14 of 18 to just 5 of 7 for the home team) and holding the hosts to 5 of 22 aim behind the 3-point arc.
Tech brings an 8-0 homecourt record into Sunday afternoon’s game against Liberty at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Flames are 11-6 overall but have dropped their first two CUSA games.
NEXT – Sunday, home vs. Liberty, 2:00, then off until next Saturday.
Northwestern State: 2-13 overall, 0-2 in Southland Conference
It’s been a miserable debut for new coach Rick Cabrera’s team, which has an entirely different roster than last year’s Demons. But the squad played perhaps its most tenacious game of the season at home last Monday in a 68-59 loss to former LSU coach Will Wade’s NIL-laced McNeese team (13-2, 2-0) in a game that was tightly contested throughout, and was a one-possession contest in the final five minutes.
The Demons’ weekend homestand screams opportunity. NSU has faced two of the three league unbeatens, losing by 20 at Lamar last Saturday. Now they host UIW and Houston Christian, both 0-2 in the Southland, with HCU bringing a 2-11 overall mark Saturday and UIW at 5-10 if Monday’s game goes off as scheduled (pending possible icy weather). UIW will be in town Sunday.
NEXT – Saturday, home vs. UIW, 3 p.m.; Monday, home vs. Houston Christian, 6:30
Grambling: 4-11 overall, 1-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Tigers split an opening SWAC homestand, dropping a bitter 54-52 Monday night game to Texas Southern after handling Prairie View two days earlier.
NEXT – Saturday, at Bethune-Cookman, 5:30; Monday, at Florida A&M, 7:30
WOMEN
Louisiana Tech: 7-10 overall, 1-1 in CUSA
The Lady Techsters nearly opened with a 2-0 league mark but were denied in overtime Wednesday night, falling 64-61 in the TAC to Middle Tennessee. Their season stats show virtually no difference with their opponents: Tech and its foes both make 41.0 percent of their shots, with the Techsters making 30.7 percent to 30.2 percent by opponents on 3-pointers, and 68.7 percent to 67.2 percent at the free throw line. Rebounding, turnovers, assists, blocks all are similarly close – even attendance average is tight. Tech’s eight home games have drawn an average of 1,850 and their seven road contests 1,896 per game.
One big boost for the Techsters: the arrival of new president Dr. Jim Henderson, who is a huge women’s basketball advocate and was a big supporter of Tech coach Brooke Stoehr when both were at Northwestern State.
NEXT – Saturday, at Liberty, noon; idle until next Saturday at home vs. Jacksonville State
Northwestern State: 6-8 overall, 2-1 in SLC
The Lady Demons held off Houston Christian 63-61 Thursday night in Prather Coliseum despite a poor night at the free throw line. Two freebies by Jiselle Woodson with six seconds left provided a five-point cushion and made her 4 of 7 at the line. The rest of the team was 5 of 14. Woodson scored 12 and was a defensive catalyst at point guard.
NEXT – Saturday, home, 1:00 vs. Houston Christian; Thursday, at Southeastern La., 6:00
Grambling: 7-6 overall, 1-1 in SWAC
The Lady Tigers hammered Prairie View by 28 in the SWAC opener at home last Saturday, but faltered at home Monday night, dropping a 72-67 contest to a 2-11 Texas Southern team. Grambling forced 24 turnovers and committed only 11, but sank only 29 percent of its shots overall including just 3 of 22 on 3-pointers.
NEXT – Saturday, at Bethune-Cookman, 3:00; Monday, at Florida A&M, 5:30
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com