By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Lincoln Parish college basketball fans are having fun.
Louisiana Tech’s men are on a roll with six straight wins in Conference USA and share the league lead. Also in a first-place tie: Grambling’s Tigers, with a national TV appearance on TNT coming up Saturday afternoon from New Jersey against Jackson State.
The Lady Tigers are in second in the SWAC standings, much improved over last year.
And while the Lady Techsters are in a funk, it’s not as if they’re not competing. Their last three games have been settled in the final minute or overtime, and they nearly beat the unbeaten CUSA leaders on the road last month. May not be fun for Tech fans, but it is exciting.
Northwestern State is the only nearby program at home on Saturday with a 1 p.m. Southland Conference doubleheader against Texas A&M-Commerce.
Quick glances at our local NCAA Division I college hoop squads:
MEN
Louisiana Tech: 16-6 overall, 6-1 in Conference USA
Barring an epic collapse, the Bulldogs appear destined for a postseason tournament, maybe their first NCAA Tournament trip in 33 years. The CUSA hoops circuit isn’t nearly as stout after the offseason membership shuffle. Plus, Tech is playing very well – the last four wins in the Bulldogs’ six-game streak have come by 17, 14, 20 and 40 points. Thursday night at Florida International, they shot 63 percent, led 59-26 at halftime and pounded the Panthers 93-53. They’re tied with Sam Houston atop the league, with New Mexico State (a 73-53 loser at Tech last Saturday) in third at 3-3. The other six CUSA teams already have either 4-5 conference losses.
NEXT – Wednesday, home vs. Western Kentucky, 6:00
Grambling: 8-12 overall, 5-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference
Faltering at home Monday night to UAPB didn’t cost the Tigers a share of the SWAC lead. They’re tied with Southern and Alabama State, but there’s a logjam – eight of the 12 teams have three or less losses in league games. They head to Newark, N.J. for Saturday’s conference contest with Jackson State televised nationally on TNT, the first of a dozen SWAC contests to be played in the next six weekends before the conference tournament.
NEXT – Saturday, vs. Jackson State (neutral site), noon, TNT (TV); Monday, at Alcorn State, 7:30
Northwestern State: 5-16 overall, 3-5 in Southland Conference
The Demons have dropped three straight heading into Saturday’s homecourt outing, which will bring NSU to the middle of the 18-game Southland season. Four of the 10 teams have two losses or less (Will Wade’s transfer portal collection is unbeaten in league play, 19-2 overall) while Northwestern is tied with Southeastern and Houston Christian for fifth place. That makes Saturday’s home game important for the Demons’ efforts to avoid (until in a dream scenario, a finals berth) a conference tournament matchup with the Cowboys next month.
NEXT – Saturday, home vs. A&M-Commerce, 3:00; Monday, at Nicholls, 6:30
WOMEN
Louisiana Tech: 8-14 overall, 2-5 in CUSA
It’s been a brutal three-game skid for the Lady Techsters, losing those games by a total of eight points – by 2, 2 in overtime and by 4 at home Thursday night to FIU. The visitors trailed by four with 41 seconds to go, but after making a pair of free throws, used pressure defense to make two steals producing go-ahead layups. Tech didn’t score a field goal in the final 2:36. The Techsters sit in eighth place with that narrow loss to FIU (6-1 in the conference, second place) and an earlier 64-61 loss at league unbeaten (6-0) Middle Tennessee.
NEXT – Wednesday, at Western Kentucky, 6:30
Grambling: 11-7 overall, 5-2 in SWAC
The Lady Tigers split home games last week, stumbling against UAPB, or Saturday’s visit to Jackson State would be for the conference lead. Grambling is one of six teams with three or fewer SWAC losses, including Jackson State, unbeaten in seven outings.
NEXT – Saturday, at Jackson State, 3:00; Monday, at Alcorn State, 5:30
Northwestern State: 8-12 overall, 4-5 in SLC
The Lady Demons faltered in the fourth quarter again Thursday night, getting outscored 22-15 in a 60-57 loss at Nicholls. Eight of the SLC’s 10 teams make the conference tournament next month, and since McNeese and Houston Christian hit the midway point of the league season both 0-9, NSU shouldn’t have to sweat making the field. But two of their wins are over McNeese. The next two games are key to moving up the ladder : the first of two meetings with A&M-Commerce (fifth in the SLC at 5-4) and next Thursday’s rematch with a 5-4 UNO team that the Lady Demons hammered on the road by 29 on Jan. 20.
NEXT – Saturday, home vs. A&M-Commerce, 1:00; next Thursday, home vs. UNO, 6:30
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com