Tech hosts Wilberforce Sunday at 4 p.m.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Any momentum from Tuesday night’s overtime road victory disappeared quickly Friday night for Tennessee Tech as the Golden Eagles ran into a feisty Lamar squad in Eblen Center. The visiting Cardinals (4-2) used a swarming defense and timely shooting to deal Tech (2-3) an 85-65 non-conference loss.

The Golden Eagles are right back in action Sunday afternoon in Eblen Center with a 4 p.m. contest against Wilberforce. The ticket office and gates will open at 3 p.m.

After fighting back throughout the first half to pull within five at halftime, the Golden Eagles couldn’t slow Lamar in the second half as the Cardinals shot 55.2 percent in the final 20 minutes. After owning a slim 20-19 rebound advantage at the half, Lamar topped Tech 21-7 on the boards in the second half for a 41-26 difference in the game.

Miles Anthony led the way for Lamar with 31 points, including 12-for-14 at the free throw line and 3-for-4 from long range. The 6-1 senior guard also had eight assists and five rebounds.

Devon Lamb, a 6-2 senior guard, added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, seven of his caroms coming on the offensive glass. Brandon Davis also scored in double digits for Lamar, finishing with 13 points.

Zach Bailey, who scored nine points in the final minute-and-a-half, led the Golden Eagles with 17 points. Kevin Murphy added 16 while Jud Dillard netted nine points and led Tech with six rebounds. Terrell Barnes topped Tech with a career-high four assists and tied his career-high with blocked three shots.

Tech missed five of its first six shots and Lamar took advantage, creeping out to a 12-5 lead in the opening five minutes of the contest. The Cardinal lead crew to as many as 13 points over the next five minutes, with a 24-11 edge following a layup by Devon Lamb at the 9:24 mark. The early stretch included a 3-pointer by Miles Anthony and back-to-back 3-pointers by Brandon Davis.

Tech got the difference into single digits behind a couple of baskets by Kevin Murphy, and eventually pulled to within four, 27-23, as Terrell Barnes hit a layup and Murphy added a dunk. Lamar’s lead at halftime was five points, 29-24.

 Anthony scored the first two baskets of the second half and Lamb added two free throws, and the lead was back to double figures in less than two minutes.

Zac Swansey and Dillard answered with baskets to get the difference back down to five points, 35-30, with 17:16 to play, but that would be the end of the holiday cheer for the home team. Tech was within five one more time a minute later when Liam McMorrow’s layup made it 37-32.

From there, Lamar put together a 12-4 run capped by a jumper from Charlie Harper to make it a 13-point difference. A 10-2 run pushed the lead to 19 points, and later the lead reached its widest at 26 points, 79-53, following a 10-4 Cardinal streak.