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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – No. 4 Louisiana Tech (20-13, 11-9 CUSA) advances to the championship final, defeating No. 9 Missouri State (16-18, 8-12 CUSA) 69-66 in the semifinal round of the 2026 Air National Guard CUSA Championship Friday afternoon night at Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center.
 
LA Tech sophomore guard AJ Bates picked up right where he left off in Friday’s win over Missouri State. Bates dropped 27 points with 16 of them coming in the first frame. The Houston native is averaging 28.0 points on 43 percent shooting in the Bulldogs’ two tournament wins. He’s scored 27 or more points in three of the last four contests.
 
The Bulldogs are making their third appearance in a CUSA title match and first since 2022 when they were defeated by UAB, 82-73. LA Tech is seeking its first CUSA tournament championship.
 
No. 4 LA Tech is set to face off with the winner of the Sam Houston and Kennesaw State semifinal matchup on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.