RUSTON, La. -- Louisiana Tech bombed in six early 3-pointers to build an advantage and post a 95-71 win over UTSA men's basketball, in the road finale of the regular season for the Roadrunners, on Saturday night at Thomas Assembly Center.
UTSA (9-19, 2-13 Conference USA) couldn't overcome a strong start from Louisiana Tech (19-7, 10-4 C-USA), as the Bulldogs scored the first 10 points of the game and drilled four 3-pointers in the opening five minutes of the contest.
The Roadrunners missed eight of their first nine shots and committed five turnovers in the opening ticks of the game to fall behind early, 24-5. The lead grew into the 20s with eight minutes left in the first and was pushed to 26 in the opening stages of the final period, a margin UTSA couldn't overcome.
Jacob Germany, a native of Kingston, Okla., had 21 points – on 7 of 13 shooting – and 10 rebounds. It was his career-high eighth double-double of the year and the 14th of his career. He scored in double figures for the 22nd time in 28 games and the 40th time in his three-year career. He has scored 20+ in eight games on the year and nine times in his career.
Dhieu Deing finished with 15 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Lamin Sabally had eight points off the bench, with Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Phoenix Ford each adding six points.
The Roadrunners shot 42.4 percent from the field and 5 of 22 from deep. Louisiana Tech shot 53.3 percent and was 13 of 33 from deep. The Bulldogs owned a 36-35 margin in rebounds and a 21-10 lead in assists.
Louisiana Tech was led by UIW transfer Keaston Willis, who averaged 19 points per game last year for the Cardinals. Willis had 30 points on 8 of 12 from behind the arc and 10 of 14 from the field. Willis drilled five 3-pointers and had 17 points in the first 17 minutes of the game. Cobe Williams added 19 points.
UTSA will return to action on Thursday, hosting UAB at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center in a game broadcast live on ESPN+ and Ticket 760 AM.
The Bulldogs opened the game with the first 10 points, getting consecutive triples from Willis, a base line drive and finish from Kenneth Lofton Jr. and a run-out lay-up from Amorie Archibald.
Darius McNeill snapped the 10-0 run to open the game with a drive and finish but it was erased by a wing 3-pointer from Archibald for a 13-2 lead at the first media timeout. The run continued to 18-2 on a third 3-pointer from Wallace and a run-out from Williams. A Lachlan Bofinger free throw was answered by a fourth triple from Wallace for a 21-3 lead, part of an 11-1 run.
Bofinger's basket snapped the 11-1 run and cut the lead to 21-5. David Green drilled his first 3-pointer for a 19-point lead out of the second media timeout. Phoenix Ford got on the board before Kenny Hunter answered for a 26-7 lead. Williams pushed the lead to 21 with an alley-oop with just under nine minutes left.
Germany got on the board with 7:48 left to narrow the lead to 19. Hunter's offensive rebound pushed the lead back to 30-10 with just over six minutes remaining. UTSA cut to 15 with 2:35 left after Addo-Ankrah hit three at the charity stripe but Williams immediately erased the potential run with a wing 3-pointer, the eighth of the game for the Bulldogs.
Deing nailed two at the line, following a run-out fueled by a Germany steal, to cut the lead to 40-28. The game went to half with the Bulldogs leading 42-27. UTSA shot 24 percent in the first half, on 6 of 25 shooting, while LA Tech was 15 of 30, with assists on nine buckets, a 20-16 margin in rebounds and a 12-3 advantage in fast-break points. Willis had 17 points to lead all scorers, with UTSA led by a nine-point half from Germany.
Louisiana Tech scored 13 of the first 17 points of the second half to build a 24-point lead at the 15:53 mark. The lead grew to 26 after five minutes into the period, a margin UTSA's couldn't overcome.
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