LA Tech to host Iona in first round of NIT

With the 2014 National Invitation Tournament field and pairings announced Sunday, Louisiana Tech was given a No. 3 seed and will host sixth-seeded Iona at the Thomas Assembly Center Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
This marks the second straight year the Bulldogs earned an automatic bid into the NIT by finishing first in their conference. This also will be only the fourth time that LA Tech has hosted an NIT game, the last one coming in 2002.
Last season, LA Tech (27-7) upended Florida State, 71-66, in Tallahassee, Fla., before falling at Southern Miss in the second round. The Bulldogs are 8-7 all-time in NIT games and 3-0 at home.
The NIT consists of 32 teams, and the ‘Dogs will be in the same bracket as No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Georgetown, No. 5 West Virginia, No. 7 Vermont and No. 8 Florida Gulf Coast.
Iona (22-10) also earned an automatic bid into the postseason tournament, winning the MAAC regular season title.
The Gaels feature one of the highest scoring offenses in the country, averaging 83.5 points per game with five players averaging double figures.
These two programs have met only once on the hardwood, on Jan. 2, 1986, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Bulldogs came away with an 84-54 victory.
Tickets will be $15 for 100 level seats, $10 for general admission and free for the first 1,000 students thanks to private support. Students can reserve their seat for the game by presenting a valid student ID at the ticket office on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Kids’ club passes cannot be honored for entry into the game, per NIT rules.
The contest will be broadcast live on the LA Tech Sports Network on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston) with the pregame show beginning at 6 p.m. The “Voice of the Bulldogs” Dave Nitz will call the play-by-play with Jack Thigpen providing analysis. Fans also can access live audio of the game via the Internet by subscribing to LA Tech All-Access at www.LATechSports.com.
Twitter users also can receive live in-game updates by following @LATechHoops.