Several all-around good performances were more than enough for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to pick up a 69-56 home victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The win takes the Bulldogs to the top of the Conference USA standings, level with the Hilltoppers a 7-1 in conference but ahead on the tiebreaker.
There is very little rotation among the Bulldogs, and that is because they have one of the deepest starting lineups in the country. Guard Alex Hamilton would end the game with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and his solid play across the board was crucial. While Hamilton was excellent on the glass, the other half of the Tech backcourt tandem put in a terrific performance. Starting guard Kenneth Smith finsihed the game with a double-double, scoring 11 points while adding 12 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds.
Smith's was not the only double-double of the night for the home team, as forward Erik McCree walked off of the court with another double-double under his belt. The 6'8" sophomore scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards.
Meanwhile, the guard/forward combo for the Bulldogs that is Raheem Appleby led the team in scoring with 17 and also had 4 rebounds. The last member of that starting five is forward Michale Kyser, who doesn't need to score to have a profound impact on games. Kyser finished the game with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The senior is the all-time leader in blocks in Louisiana Tech history, and is a massive deterrent to opponents who want to get the ball inside.
On the other side of the court, Western Kentucky proved that they have talent but it wasn't as deep as their opponents. T.J. Price was the best player for the Hilltoppers, registering a double-double of his own. The guard finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
George Fant would add 15 points for Western Kentucky as he went 6 of 8 from the field, in addition to grabbing 4 rebounds. The only other scorer in double figures for WKU came off of the bench, as guard D.J. Clayton scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
With this game in the books, these two C-USA teams now have identical conference records of 7-1. With Louisiana Tech having the better overall record, they currently take the top spot in the conference standings with WKU as a close 2nd. For their next game, Tech will stay at home to take on Marshall. As for WKU their next game will be against Southern Mississippi.