By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Six times the Tennessee Tech men's basketball has taken the floor at the Hooper Eblen Center this season. And six times the Golden Eagles have walked away victorious.
The Tech squad will put that perfect record to the toughest test yet Thursday evening, as Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State makes its way to Cookeville for a 7:30 p.m. CST showdown.
The contest marks the third straight doubleheader to start OVC play for the team as the women's squad will also host the Racers at 5:30 p.m. Fans may purchase their tickets online (TTUsports.com), in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center, or on the telephone (931-372-3940).
Both contests represent the first two to be televised locally by WCTE TV this season, the 33rd straight year the station has worked with the Golden Eagles in the Eblen Center. In addition to coverage by WCTE TV, all of Tech's home games will be streamed live on the OVC Digital Network, with production by the Golden Eagle Sports Network.
Tennessee Tech (8-7) vs. Murray State (11-4)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015
7:30 p.m. CST
Eblen Center (9,250) – Cookeville, Tenn.
The Broadcasts
TV: WCTE (Buddy Pearson & Frank Harrell)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey)
Webcast: Golden Eagle Sports Network on the OVC Digital Network (Dylan Vazzano)
SETTING THE STAGE
It's been 10 years since the Golden Eagles started a season 6-0 at home, but if history is any indicator, that certainly bodes well for the purple and gold. It was also 10 seasons ago that TTU took home its last OVC title, achieving a 12-4 mark in the regular season behind then-head coach Mike Sutton.
Current head coach Steve Payne is quite familiar with the success of that squad, having served as the team's associate head coach, and also knows that this year's team is just as capable. Tech returns home after a rough 0-2 start to its OVC schedule this season, falling to Eastern Illinois and SIUE last weekend.
But the 2004-05 squad also struggled on a road trip, going 0-2 at Samford and Jacksonville State. With plenty of basketball left on the schedule, this year's Golden Eagle squad will take it one game at a time. And that starts with the Racers.
Murray State has been on fire after a slow start to the year, winning each of its past nine contests to enter the match-up with Tech at 11-4 on the year. The team started its OVC campaign 1-0, defeating Morehead State on the road on Saturday, 66-57. The Racers boast the league's top offense, averaging 77.6 points per game behind four double-digit scorers.
The leader among those four is reigning OVC Freshman of the Year Cameron Payne, who drops 17.8 points, pulls in 3.0 rebounds, and dishes out 5.9 assists per game. Fellow backcourt mate T.J. Sapp chips in with 10.5 points per game and shoots over 40 percent from 3-point range.
The Racers boast one of the league's top frontcourt duos in Jarivs Williams and Jonathan Fairell. Williams averages 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds while Moss adds 11.1 points and 4.2 rebounds. Fairell adds 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 points.
Jeffery Moss is the third highest scorer for Murray State, dropping 11.1 points per game and grabbing 4.2 rebounds behind a 45.8 percent clip from 3-point range.
The Golden Eagles rank among the top five in scoring offenses in the league, averaging 72.0 points per game while leading the conference in rebounding with 38.5 per game.
Center Charles Jackson and forward Dwan Caldwell represent the OVC's top frontcourt, leading all other duos in the league in both scoring and rebounding. Jackson ranks top on the team with 13.9 points per game and leads the conference on the glass, pulling down 10.1 boards. His 11 double-doubles on the year place him in second place in the nation as well. Caldwell adds 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game to the dominant duo.
Junior guard Torrance Rowe is scoring in double figures this season, averaging 10.3 points and ranking among the league leaders in free throw percentage at 84.6. Fellow junior Josiah Moore adds 9.1 points off the bench and has proven to be a big lift on the boards as well, averaging 4.5 rebounds.
Photo by TTU Photo Services
