By: Kane McGuire (Louisiana Tech Athletics)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Kenneth Lofton, Jr. recorded a sport-higher 31 factors and 14 rebounds and Louisiana Tech went a perfect 13-of-13 from the foul line, including four massive tends to make in the closing 10 seconds, to occur absent with a 78-75 victory around Santa Clara on Saturday within the Leavey Middle.

Junior was a video game-time selection to participate in in the match due to injury.  But, the electrical power forward designed the start off and was unstoppable nonetheless again in registering his second 30-stage, 10-rebound video game in the previous week.

LA Tech (6-2) took its 1st lead with 9:10 to go in the initially fifty percent and held it until finally Santa Clara (6-3) clawed back to tie it up at 66-66 with 2:47 to enjoy.

Junior then took in excess of, scoring the Bulldogs next eight details including an emphatic two-handed slam dunk to give the site visitors a 74-69 edge with 22 seconds to go.

The Broncos would not go away however as Keshawn Justice strike a difficult a few-pointer on the ensuing perform to get them back again to within just two.  The dwelling squad was then forced to foul to put LA Tech on the no cost throw line, which is wherever Cobe Williams strike very little but net on each attempts on the 1-and-1.

Amorie Archibald did the exact same to give the Bulldogs a 78-75 guide with two seconds remaining.  Justice tried a match-tying a few that was off focus on, offering LA Tech its next street get of the period.

The ‘Dogs obtained down 15-7 early, but finished up employing a 10- operate to support open up up a 29-21 direct.  They ended up getting a 33-32 gain into the locker home at halftime. 

Santa Clara arrived into the match ranked best 15 in the state in area aim share and a few-place subject purpose proportion.  LA Tech confined them to 41 % taking pictures from the industry and 27 % from deep on their residence ground.  Jalen Williams recorded 28 points and Justice experienced 14. 

The Bulldogs shot 42 per cent (29-of-69) and designed 7 of their 22 three-issue makes an attempt, 3 coming from Exavian Christon who finished with a period-significant nine factors.

QUOTABLES

Head mentor Eric Konkol

“We talk about being gritty and challenging and we ended up that now.  Right after the ridiculous journey day we had…