Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

GAME NOTES: The SMU Mustangs go searching for their first road win of 2010-11 tonight, as they pay a visit to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a non- conference showdown at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston.

SMU has played a total of seven games already this season, but only one of those was on the road and it ended in an 84-64 final versus nearby TCU in Fort Worth. Most recently the team logged its third win in a row and the fourth in five chances when it put up a 76-72 victory over Central Arkansas on Sunday.

Over on the other side, the Bulldogs had a five-game win streak snapped on Friday when they bowed at Arkansas-Little Rock, 74-65. The defeat was the second in seven games for LaTech, the other coming in the season opener versus Texas (89-58) on the road as well.

With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, LaTech is ahead by a count of 7-3 thanks to a 3-1 edge in Ruston over the years. The most recent meeting took place in 2005 when the Bulldogs captured a 73-70 victory.

It was a tight matchup, yet the Mustangs still used just two bench players as they slipped by with the four-point win the last time out. Robert Nyakundi and Papa Dia both tallied 24 points, the latter adding 10 rebounds and five assists to offset five turnovers, while Justin Haynes tacked on 12 points for the victors. SMU made good on 54 percent from the floor and outscored the visitors at the free-throw line by a 17-4 margin. Dia, who was named All- Conference USA Third Team last season, currently leads the Ponies in scoring with 16.6 ppg as he shoots 62.3 percent from the floor. Dia is also tops on the list with better than eight and a half rebounds per game and has 12 blocked shots to his credit. As if all that weren't enough, the big man has handed out 17 assists which currently places him second on the team. Nyakundi (14.7 ppg) handles a lot of the action out on the perimeter where he has made good on 41.3 percent of his three-point tries, the team making 67-of-170 (.394).

DeAndre Brown dropped in a game-high 24 points against the Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock last week, but that wasn't nearly enough as the Bulldogs saw their five-game win streak come to an end at the Jack Stephens Center. Brown made good on 8-of-18 shots from the floor, including 4-of-9 beyond the arc, which means the rest of the team combined to convert only 2-of-11 out on the perimeter. Before fouling out Olu Ashaolu accounted for 11 points and seven rebounds, while Brandon Gibson and Lonnie Smith skated by with eight points apiece in the losing effort. Ashaolu, who has led the squad in rebounding in every game thus far, is averaging 9.7 rpg to go along with his 14.6 ppg. Ashaolu is shooting a lofty 56.9 percent from the floor, but his 54.9 percent effort at the free-throw line might make him a liability on the floor during crucial times. Brown is responsible for a team-best 17.1 ppg and is first with 25 assists to help get teammates involved in the action.

The battle between Dia and Ashaolu on the inside should be something to see, which means the difference will probably come out on the perimeter where SMU has been lining up almost 25 attempts per game.