Paws Up Preview – FIU MBB vs LA Tech

MIAMI, FL – Following the tough loss to Middle Tennessee, the Panthers head home for a three-game stretch where they first welcome the best team in Conference USA – the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

This season, the Bulldogs are 5-1 in conference play and an overall 15-6. Currently, LA Tech is riding a five-game win streak which includes Liberty, Jacksonville State, UTEP, and Middle Tennessee. Out of all of these teams, FIU has only beaten UTEP.

At the moment, the Bulldogs are ranked the number four offense amongst the conference, number one defense, give up the lowest field goal percentage, second-best three-point shooting team, second-best-rebounding team, and have the third highest Assist/Turnover ratio.

Right behind Jax State guard KyKy Tandy, Bulldogs guard Isaiah Crawford is right behind him for the conference lead in points per game at 16.0. Crawford is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, 2.3 assists, and is shooting 50.6% from the field, which is the second most in the conference just behind his teammate Daniel Batcho.

This season, Batcho is averaging 14.7 points per game, 10.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and has a 56.8% field goal percentage, which leads the conference.

Although Javaunte Hawkins leads Conference USA in three-point percentage, Tahlik Chavez is right behind him with a 40.8% three-point percentage and is averaging 12.3 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

FIU currently finds themselves on a three-game losing streak which includes losses to Liberty, Western Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee. This matchup against the Bulldogs will be one of the biggest games of the season as a 2-5 Conference USA record would all but surely be impossible to come back from.

The Panthers have yet to reach the double-digit win total this season. Their conference slate doesn’t get much easier after the Bulldogs as they will take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats who are the second-best team in the conference with a 5-1 CUSA record.

Tip-off will be on Thursday, February 1st at 7 pm from the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.