Louisiana Tech is set to return home after splitting last week’s road games, hosting Jacksonville State on Wednesday at the Thomas Assembly Center. The Bulldogs will play three of their next four games in Ruston.
LA Tech currently holds a 14-11 overall record and is tied for fourth place in Conference USA with a 7-7 mark. The team is in a three-way tie with WKU and Missouri State, trailing second place by two games and third-place Jacksonville State by one game. In their last outing, LA Tech lost to FIU 77-64 despite leading early in the second half. The loss ended their six-game winning streak against FIU.
The Bulldogs’ defense has been active recently, recording 11 steals against FIU—their highest total in a conference game this season—and averaging 10 steals over the last three contests. Six players contributed to the steals tally, with AJ Bates tying his career high at four. Kaden Cooper added three more steals.
In scoring, LA Tech outperformed FIU in the paint 36-34 and has scored at least 30 points in the paint in 19 games this season. AJ Bates led LA Tech with 14 points and four assists against FIU, moving closer to reaching 200 career assists—a milestone achieved by only 24 other players in program history. He ranks among the top assist leaders both nationally and within Conference USA.
DJ Dudley also contributed double-digit points for the sixteenth time this season and leads LA Tech with an average of 13.6 points per game (15.1 during conference play). Kaden Cooper came off the bench to score ten points and continues to make an impact after missing five games earlier in the season.
Jacksonville State enters the matchup with a 13-12 record (8-6 CUSA) but has dropped its last two games at home against UTEP and New Mexico State. Despite these setbacks, they hold third place in the league standings and are recognized for strong defensive play, ranking among national leaders in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, and three-point field goal percentage defense.
The Gamecocks’ defense is especially effective during conference play where they allow just under 70 points per game while holding opponents to low shooting percentages from both inside and beyond the arc.
Offensively, Mostapha El Moutaouakkil leads Jacksonville State with an average of 18 points per contest—top among all league players—and frequently reaches double figures; he is also noted for drawing fouls at a high rate.
The series between LA Tech and Jacksonville State began when Jax State joined Conference USA in 2024. The Bulldogs won both meetings that year but have since lost three straight matchups to Jacksonville State—including a narrow defeat last month.
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