HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Interstat) — Louisiana Tech defeated Middle Tennessee 80-69 in a Conference USA men’s basketball tournament game Thursday at T.M. Elmore Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs used a strong first half to build a 39-25 lead and maintained control after halftime before an announced crowd of 3,029. The Blue Raiders mounted a second-half push but could not close the gap. Louisiana Tech improved to 19-13 this season, while Middle Tennessee fell to 17-15. The Bulldogs avenged a regular-season loss to the Blue Raiders from January.