By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

If you’re a little stir crazy after the rainy, cold weather arriving today, there’s some Division I basketball within an hour’s drive Saturday.

The men’s teams from Louisiana Tech and Northwestern are home Saturday and Grambling hosts a SWAC doubleheader.

The Bulldogs are also home tonight at the Thomas Assembly Center, aiming to regain their swagger after an 11-2 non-conference start dissolved on the road last week with two Conference USA losses.

On the women’s side, Tech and Northwestern are off to good starts in their conference seasons but both have road challenges ahead.

MEN

Louisiana Tech (11-4, 0-2 CUSA)

Next: home tonight (6:30) vs. FIU, home Saturday (7:00) vs. Liberty

Last game: lost 78-48 last Saturday at New Mexico State

Notes: point guard Sean Newman Jr. is second nationally with 9.4 assists pg … Preseason CUSA Player of the Year Daniel Batcho is scoring 18.3 points pg … the 30-point loss at New Mexico State was the worst for the Bulldogs since 2018, and their first loss of more than 10 points in 46 games … Tech is 5-1 at home.

Northwestern (6-8, 3-1 Southland)

Next: home Saturday (1:00) vs. East Texas A&M (2-13, 0-4), Monday at A&M-Corpus Christi (10-6, 3-1)

Last game: lost 92-69 Monday at home vs. McNeese

Notes: the Demons rank 25^th in the NCAA in bench points pg (31.6) and 44^th in blocked shots pg (4.8) … Jerald Colonel is fifth individually in the national blocked shots standings at 2.85 pg  … Jon Sanders’ 87.5 percent free throw aim is 56^th in the country.

Grambling (3-12, 0-2 SWAC)

Next: home Saturday (4:30) vs. Bethune-Cookman (4-10, 1-0), home Monday (7:30) vs. Florida A&M (3-9, 0-1)

Last game: lost 71-66 in OT last Saturday at Texas Southern

Notes: Antwan Burnett’s 12.5 scoring average tops three Tigers in double figures … Mikale Stevenson’s 4.5 assists average is 94^th nationally … Grambling hasn’t notched a win over a Division I foe yet, but nearly knocked off Ole Miss (66-64) on Nov. 8 … other teams beating GSU include USC, Florida, New Mexico, Cincinnati, Pepperdine and HBCU Classic participants Delaware State and Norfolk State.

WOMEN

Louisiana Tech (9-4, 2-0 CUSA)

Next: at FIU (5-8, 1-1) tonight, at Liberty (8-5, 1-1) Saturday

Last game: won 67-58 Saturday at home over New Mexico State

Notes:  Paris Bradley has been named CUSA Freshman of the Week each of the past two weeks … the Lady Techsters are 14^th nationally with 22.2 free throw attempts per game but 287^th with 65.6 percent FT aim … Tech is on a season-best four-game win streak, but is 1-3 on the road this year, losing at Baylor, TCU and Stephen F. Austin, and winning at South Alabama.

Northwestern (6-7, 3-1 Southland)

Next: at A&M-Corpus Christi (9-5, 1-2) tonight, will not play again until next Thursday at home vs. UNO

Last game: won 56-44 Saturday at home over Nicholls

Notes:  NSU is riding a season-best three-game win streak, and its only conference loss (at UIW) came on a buzzer-beater … point guard Mia Blake won Southland Player of the Week honors by averaging 17.5 points and 9 rebounds in last week’s two wins … the Demons are 12^th nationally defending the 3-point shot, allowing only 24.3 percent by opponents … Northwestern held Nicholls scoreless in the final 5:17 and pulled away from a 44-all tie.

Grambling (4-9, 1-1 SWAC)

Next: home Saturday (2:00) vs. Bethune-Cookman (4-10, 1-0), home Monday (5:30) vs. Florida A&M (3-9, 0-1)

Last game: won 67-44 last Saturday at Prairie View

Notes: The 11.5 scoring average by Kahia Warmsley is the only double figure scoring rate for the Lady Tigers, whose bench scoring average of 31.4 is 12^th nationally … Grambling’s pressure defense is forcing 13.5 steals per game (8^th in NCAA Division I) and producing an average of 25.4 points off turnovers (10^th nationally). GSU is second nationally in offensive rebounds pg.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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