By Kane McGuire, Louisiana Tech Associate Athletic Director/Strategic Communications and Digital Marketing; featured photo by Kane McGuire
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Sean Newman Jr.’s three-point attempt in the final seconds did not fall as Louisiana Tech suffered a 63-61 defeat to Jacksonville State on Thursday night in Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Down two with 11 seconds to go, LA Tech (13-5, 2-3 CUSA) had a chance to tie it or win it. Newman Jr. got a clean look at a potential game-winning three in front of the team’s bench, but the shot was off the mark and rebounded by Jax State (10-7, 2-2 CUSA) to seal it.
The Bulldogs were dealt a blow before the game even started as the backcourt was limited in depth with Jordan Crawford and Al Green both being out with injuries. In order to try to hand the Gamecocks their first home loss of the season, Newman Jr. and Amaree Abram ended up playing the entire 40 minutes.
Even so, LA Tech was in control for much of the first half, going on an 8-0 run that was sparked by the bench help of Sean Elkintonwho hit one of his three triples during the stretch that gave the ‘Dogs a 23-15 lead with 7:33 remaining.
The Gamecocks would slice their deficit down to two, but Kaden Cooper’s finger roll layup and Daniel Batcho’s putback gave the Bulldogs a 31-25 halftime advantage.
That lead quickly disappeared as Jax State came out on a 7-0 early in the second stanza to take a one-point lead. The half would feature five ties and seven lead changes.
Jax State went on another 7-0 run, getting all seven points from Jao Ituka, to take a five-point lead, its largest with 6:57 to play in the game. LA Tech quickly tied it though at 57-57 with a Newman Jr. three and a layup by Batcho.
The two teams traded two points before Koree Cotton drained a corner three-pointer to break another tie. The Gamecocks stretched their lead to four after a made free throw by Jaron Pierre Jr., their eighth free throw attempt of the game LA Tech’s two.
Kaden Cooper sliced that deficit in half with an alley-oop dunk at the 1:03 mark but that would be the Bulldogs last points in what ended as a two-point loss.
LA Tech shot 42.6 percent from the field (26-61), led by Daniel Batcho who had a game-high 19 points. Elkinton and Abram each added 13.
Jax State shot 42.9 percent from the field (24-56), getting 14 points apiece from Pierre Jr. and Marcellus Brigham Jr.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
On the loss …
“I thought we played hard. I do not think we were locked in the whole night as far as the things we practiced. When you play other good teams, they take advantage when you make little mistakes. And we gave up 18 second-chance points which is way too many. We got them to miss shots, but we did not rebound the ball like we should have. Offensively, it was not there. We were not able to make shots at the rate we normally do. I thought we tried to tip in a lot of balls instead of securing them, shot faking, and going back up.”
On the final seconds of the game …
“At the end of the day, it is not the last possession that kills you. We got an open look. I felt like we were a little rushed with having 11 seconds. All in all, we got an open shot.”
On Amaree Abram’s defense …
“He did a really good job. You can tell he is giving all he has. When his offense is struggling, other guys have to step up and make shots.”
NOTABLES
- With the loss, LA Tech now leads the all-time series versus Jacksonville State, 2-1.
- LA Tech outrebounded Jax State, 37-32. The Bulldogs became just the fourth opponent this season to record more rebounds than the Gamecocks.
- LA Tech held its 11th opponent this season to under 70 points. This was the first time the Bulldogs suffered a loss while doing so.
- The Bulldogs shot a season-low two free throws, the fewest in at least the last 25 years. LA Tech came into the contest averaging 17.6 free throw attempts per game.
- Daniel Batcho scored a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. It marked his seventh game of the season leading the Bulldogs in scoring. In doing so, he eclipsed 1,000 points for his collegiate career.
- Sean Elkinton scored a season-high 13 points while also tying his season high with three triples. He has now scored in double figures in each of the last three games he has played.
- Amaree Abram reached double-digit points for the 14th time this season, tallying 13 points. He hit three triples in the process, giving him multiple three-pointers in 14 of 18 games this season.
- Kaden Cooper led the Bulldogs in rebounding for the 12th time this season, posting 10 boards. It was the fourth time reaching double-digit rebounds this season.
- Sean Newman Jr. registered seven assists (has reached at least seven dimes in 15 of the 38 games played this season). He now has 315 career assists as a Bulldog, 14th most in program history.
- Amaree Abram tied his career high with five assists (most in a single game as a Bulldog).
UP NEXT
LA Tech will travel to Georgia to take on Kennesaw State on Saturday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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