RUSTON – “He’s not underrated anymore.”
 
Words spoken by Louisiana Tech Men’s Basketball head coach Talvin Hester about his point guard – Sean Newman Jr. – who scored a career-high 25 points to go along with nine assists in the Bulldogs 74-66 victory over Grand Canyon on Monday night inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
 
Undersized and overlooked much of his basketball career, Newman Jr. scored or assisted on 17 of LA Tech’s (10-2) 28 made field goals against the WAC preseason favorite Lopes. 
 
And with the ‘Dogs clinging to a one-point lead over GCU (6-4) with three minutes to go, the point guard scored seven of the team’s last nine points (and assisted on the other basket) as the home team closed the game on a 9-2 run.
 
Having spent a good chunk of the non-conference season battling back from early deficits, LA Tech was the first team to gain some separation.  Following an opening bucket by the Lopes, the Bulldogs went on a 13-0 run that included two three-pointers by Amaree Abram and one by Newman Jr.
 
Along with the three ball, Daniel Batcho was dominating in the paint.  And with LA Tech still in control with a 17-10 lead and 12:03 to go in the first half, the team leader in scoring was whistled for his second personal foul.
 
A big GCU squad took advantage, erasing the deficit and eventually going up four, its largest lead of the contest with 2:27 remaining before halftime.  However, the ‘Dogs would get four more points on a made jumper by Kaden Cooper and two free throws by Newman Jr. (two of the three total free throws taken by LA Tech in the stanza) to get to within one at the midway point.
 
It remained a one-possession game for a good chunk of the second half as LA Tech was clinging to a 47-46 edge with 11:33 to go.  Then came another burst of offense for the Bulldogs, going on a 12-0 run that was energized by back-to-back alley oops from Newman Jr. to Batcho.
 
GCU proceeded to go small with its lineup and it worked.  The Lopes found their rhythm offensively, making seven of eight field goals, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Lok Wur and a pair of layups by Styles Phipps, during a 4-plus minute stretch to trail 65-64 with 3:10 left.
 
Newman Jr. anchored the Bulldogs the rest of the way.
 
First up was an NBA-range three from the wing to stretch the lead out to four.  Then it was a late shot clock situation where he drove the middle of the lane and got an off-balance layup to fall. 
 
After another defense stop by the LA Tech defense, Newman Jr. snaked a double team and dished the ball off to Kaden Cooper base line for the two-handed flush.  Two late free throws by the point guard was icing on the cake.
 
For the fourth straight game, LA Tech shot over 50 percent from the field (51.9).  Despite foul trouble, Batcho finished at his average with 19 points plus seven rebounds and three blocks (the second one put him at 100 rejections for his Bulldog career).  Abram was the third Bulldog in double figures with 15.
 
Meanwhile, GCU’s star guard duo of Ray Harrison and Tyon Grant-Foster combined for just seven points (2-of-18 shooting).  The Lopes, led by JaKobe Coles who had 19, shot 40.3 percent as a team.
 
QUOTABLES
Head coach Talvin Hester
 
On the win …
“We felt the energy in the building.  We had to lean on what we do.  We did not have to rely on our own energy tonight.  You could feel them, you could hear them.  Thank you to all of the Bulldog fans.  On the basketball side of it, we had nine turnovers in the first half but only four in the second.  I thought that was huge.  We stuck with the game plan of trying to take away the rim and not foul them.  They go to the free throw line more than almost anyone in the country.  We made them shoot threes and they were not shooting them well.  Late in the game they adjusted, taking their big man out which spread us out.  But, I still wanted to stick to the principles.”
 
On Sean Newman Jr. …
“He is not underrated anymore.  I think he showed he is who we think he is.  He can be that because we have good players around him.  You can’t be good by yourself.  It keeps everybody honest.  He takes advantage of the opportunities.  He usually makes the right decision.  I am excited about the way he played.  I am excited about the way [Daniel] Batcho played. 
 
On being able to seize the moment of playing GCU at home …
“I said right after the loss [to Grand Canyon last season in Phoenix], I would love to get them on our own court.  We got it.  The whole game, I knew it would not be easy.  They are a really good basketball team and are really well coached.  I felt like every time we made an adjustment, they made an adjustment.  Every time we would pull away from them they would pull right back.  We knew it would be a dogfight.  I was proud down the stretch we put some stops together and took care of the basketball, giving ourselves a chance to win.”
 
Guard Sean Newman Jr.
 
On the atmosphere …
“It is one of the best atmospheres I have been in these last two years.  Only game I can think that would be equivalent is the Liberty game last year.  It was amazing to see.  It was fun.  They kept us in the game.”
 
On being aggressive with Batcho in foul trouble …
“Early in the season, the same situation happened in the UMass game.  We are just accustomed to fighting.  Coaches do a great job of pushing us in practice.  It makes the games easier.”
 
On confidence in your game …
“I just try to take it day by day.  I just try to be a better version of myself every day.  I keep getting in the gym, just keep working.”
 
NOTABLES

• With the win, LA Tech and Grand Canyon are now tied in the all-time series, 1-1.  The Bulldogs got revenge for last season’s 73-70 loss to the Lopes in Phoenix.
• LA Tech improved to 10-2 on the season, its best start since 2015.
• The Bulldogs registered their 176th home victory in their last 200 games in the TAC (176-24).
• LA Tech went 2-0 in the CUSA/WAC Challenge this season, defeating GCU and UT Arlington.
• LA Tech shot 51.9 percent from the field, marking the fifth straight game (seventh total) that the Bulldogs have eclipsed 50 percent shooting.
• The Bulldogs scored 40 points in the paint, marking the third straight game with 40+ paint points.
• The Bulldogs registered five blocks, marking the ninth time in 12 games this season they have tallied at least five rejections.
• Sean Newman Jr. recorded a career-high 25 points (previous high was 19 at WKU last season).  He also had a career-high eight made field goals and three made three-pointers.
• Daniel Batcho reached double-digit points for the 19th consecutive game, scoring 19.  He has scored 19+ points in five of his last six games.
• Amaree Abram cracked double figures for the 10th time this season with 15 points.  For the fifth straight game (ninth overall), he made multiple three-pointers (went 3-of-6).
• Sean Newman Jr. dished out nine assists, giving him 108 for the season which leads the country.  He has recorded at least eight assists in nine of the 12 games.  He now has 254 career assists as a Bulldog, which ranks 16th in program history.
• Daniel Batcho had a team-best +20 plus/minus.
• Daniel Batcho became the eighth Bulldog in program history to eclipse 100 career blocks.  The power forward had three (sixth game this season with at least three rejections).  He has registered at least one block in 16 straight contests.   
• Amaree Abram recorded two steals to extend his streak of games with at least one steal to 12 games.
• Kaden Cooper led the Bulldogs in rebounding for the ninth time this season with a game-high nine boards.

UP NEXT
LA Tech will play its final non-conference game of the regular season on Saturday, Dec. 21 versus Rust College.  Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT in the TAC and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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