By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the 2015-16 regular season officially in the books, the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will now set its sights on the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and first round opponent Austin Peay.
The Golden Eagles (19-10, 11-5) will meet its in-state foe in Municipal Auditorium Wednesday evening, taking on the Governors (14-17, 7-9) in a 6 p.m. tilt that will kick off the men's portion of the 2015-16 OVC Tournament. This marks the first tournament appearance for Tech since the 2013-14 season and the first for Austin Peay since the 2011-12 season.
Tech will face a tough path to take home its first OVC Tournament championship and the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, beginning with a sneaky good Govs squad that boasts the league's top scorer and rebounder. With a win, the Golden Eagles would move on to face Tennessee State Thursday evening at 6 p.m., arguably the toughest defensive squad in the league.
A victory over the Tigers would equal a third match-up with OVC regular season champion Belmont, the league's reigning tournament title holder. That contest would feature a 6:30 p.m. tip on Friday. Should the Golden Eagles take the first three games they face, it would result in a championship game face off against the winner from the other side of the bracket, which includes No. 2 UT Martin, No. 3 Morehead State, No. 6 Murray State and No. 7 Eastern Illinois. The title game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start on Saturday.
Fans can listen to Tech's OVC Tournament action all week live on 106.1 The Eagle with Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano on the call. The first two rounds of play will be broadcast live on the OVC Digital Network. The semifinal contest can be followed on ESPNU while the title game will once again be featured on ESPN2.
Tennessee Tech basketball fans hoping to sit with their fellow fans in purple & gold at the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Tournament this week need to purchase their tickets from the TTU Ticket Office in order to secure seats in the Golden Eagle cheering section in Municipal Auditorium.
Individual game tickets are $30 each, and if purchased through the Tech Ticket Office, will be in whichever is Tech's designated seating area for each Golden Eagle game. Tickets purchased at the arena are also $30, but will not be in the Tech section and will be in the upstairs locations further from the action. Tech student tickets, with a valid ID, are $5 apiece. All session tickets are also available through Tech for $80.
To order tickets, or for additional information about the Golden Eagles in the OVC Tournament and seating information, please call (931) 372-3940 or visit the Athletic Ticket Office in Eblen Center.
Tech fans, alumni and students who are headed to Nashville this week for the Tournament are invited to stop at the TTU Athletics Tournament Hospitality Tent, located just outside the main Municipal Auditorium entrance. The tent will be open two hours before each Golden Eagle game, and is located just across Fourth Street from the main entrance to Municipal Auditorium.
#5 Tennessee Tech (19-10, 11-5) vs. #8 Austin Peay (14-17, 7-9)
Wednesday, Mar. 2, 2016
6:00 p.m. CST
Municipal Auditorium (9,654) – Nashville, Tenn.
The Broadcasts
TV: None
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey & Dylan Vazzano)
Webcast: OVC Digital Network (Jonathan Hutton & Chad Withrow)
ABOUT AUSTIN PEAY
The Golden Eagles will face off against their long-time, in-state rival Austin Peay in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.
This marks the 14th meeting in the OVC Tournament between the two programs, with Austin Peay holding an 8-5 advantage. Tech won the last match-up in the tournament, defeating the Governors, 68-65, in Clarksville during the 2009-10 season.
Austin Peay is in its 26th season under the direction of head coach Dave Loos.
The Governors are currently 14-17 overall and 7-9 in OVC play, coming off back-to-back victories to clinch the final spot in the tournament. APSU defeated SIUE and Southeast Missouri to clinch its OVC berth.
In 2015-16, Austin Peay is 7-7 at home, 7-9 on the road and 0-1 in neutral sites.
Last season, the Govs compiled an 8-22 overall record and 3-13 mark in the OVC, finishing 6th in the West Division regular season standings.
This marks the 139th meeting all-time between the two programs, Tech's second longest running in-state rivalry, featuring just one less games in the series than the Golden Eagle match-ups with Middle Tennessee.
The Golden Eagles claimed last season's match-up with a 72-56 victory in Cookeville and have won seven out of the past eight meetings between the two rivals, including a 72-66 decision in Clarksville this season.
Chris Horton finished the regular season as the league's leader in scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, respectively. He also finished averaging 1.9 blocks per game, second most in the league.
Josh Robinson picked up his game significantly down the stretch, finishing sixth in the league in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Teammate Khalil Davis also averages double figures on the scoreboard, adding 11.7 points per game to the mix.
EASTERN KENTUCKY RECAP
The Golden Eagles closed out its remarkable regular season with a big victory over Eastern Kentucky on Senior Night Saturday evening, a 92-82 win over the Colonels that secured a 14-1 home record for the 2015-16 squad.
Tech caught fire from deep in the second half after hitting just 3-of-12 attempts in the first 20 minutes, sinking 10-of-18 treys to all but knock the wind out of EKU.
The Golden Eagles dished out 21 assists and gathered seven steals and hauled in 40 rebounds in the win while blasting the scoreboard for 55 second-half points.
Sophmore Aleksa Jugovic exploded for a career-high 30 points, tying his career-high with seven triples, including an unconscious second-half effort of 6-for-7.
Senior Torrance Rowe continued his stellar play that has seen him average 23.7 points over his past three games, dropping 23 in his final home performance. The point guard drained five treys and dished out six assists before leaving the game with under a minute to play in the classiest way possible, kissing the Golden Eagle logo at half court.
Ryan Martin was limited to just 22 minutes due to foul trouble, but still scored 10 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Redshirt freshman Savonte Frazier came up big off the bench, posting career-highs with 10 points and five rebounds in just 14 minutes of action.
ON A ROWE
One of the league's best free throw shooters, Torrance Rowe set a program record for highest free throw percentage in a game, sinking all 15 of his attempts at the line at Murray State. The previous record belonged to Jud Dillard who went 14-for-14 against Jacksonville State during the 2012-13 season.
The senior turned in one of the best passing performances in program history against Southeast Missouri, dishing out 12 assists with zero turnovers. Only Maurice Houston posted more with zero turnovers, recording 15 dimes against Morehead State in March of 1993.
At Belmont, Rowe sank the second-most 3-pointers in a single game in Tech history, hitting 7-of-15 attempted triples on his way to 27 points.
After dishing out six more assists against Eastern Kentucky, the point guard now has 208 in his brief career, moving him into sole possession of 24th place all-time in program history. He needs four more to pass Carlos Floyd for 23rd place.
This season, Rowe leads Tech in scoring with 18.1 points per game, good enough to rank second in the OVC, and with 4.4 assists per game, also ranking fourth in the league. In OVC play, he led the league in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game.
T-Rowe owns an 87.1 percent shooting touch from the charity stripe, ranking first in the league, and has dished out 129 assists while averaging 35.5minutes.
BIG ANT'S BLOCK PARTY
Adept at rejecting shots around the bucket since his arrival in Cookeville in 2012, Anthony Morse has climbed up the all-time list for career blocks (listed far right).
After blocking one more shot against Eastern Kentucky, Morse now has 108 in his career and holds sole possession of fourth place all-time in Tech history. He needs eight more blocks to pass Milos Babic for sole possession of third place.
At the conclusion of his career in 1997, only three players (Adonal Foyle, Tim Duncan, and Alonzo Mourning) had more blocks in NCAA history than Tech's all-time leader, the late, great Lorenzo Coleman. With 439 rejections, he still sits 12th all-time.
Facing SIUE, the big man dominated the paint to the tune of a career-high 17 points, chipping in seven rebounds.
He gathered his second double-double with 12 points and 10 boards at APSU.
On the year, Morse ranks first in the OVC with 2.0 blocks per game. He ranks fifth in the league with a 60.7 field goal percentage and also sits in the top 15 in rebounding with 5.9 boards per game.
GIVE ME SOME SUGAR
Off to a strong start in his sophomore campaign, Aleksa Jugovic ranks as the third highest scorer on the Golden Eagle roster.
The native of Serbia owns eight 20-point outings to his credit this season, including his career-high 30 coming against EKU. Jugovic drained seven triples for the second time this season, including a stunning 6-for-7 showing in the second half.
Against Southeast Missouri, he dropped 27 points while shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 7-of-11 from deep.
He ranks second in the OVC in 3-point shooting at 44.3 percent, owning more makes and attempts than the player ranked ahead of him. In league play alone, he led the OVC in 3-point accuracy, sinking 50.0 percent of his 94 attempts. He also led the league in free throw shooting at 87.1 percent, a mark that jumped to 88.1 percent in OVC play.
Facing EIU, he dropped 26 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep.
Against SIUE, he dished out a career-high eight assists, just a game after doling out seven dimes against Eastern Illinois.
Jugovic dropped 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting at UT Martin, sinking all six of his first half field goal attempts. He was 5-for-7 from downtown as well.
He took to the mid-range jumper at EKU, sinking 8-of-13, field goals, 2-of-4 3-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws on his way to 24 points, equaling the most consecutive 20-point outings by a Golden Eagles since Jud Dillard posted four straight to end his career during the 2012-13 season.
Fans can follow Jugovic on Twitter under his handle/nickname @SerbianSugar.
Following his junior year of high school, Jugovic starred for the Serbian U-18 national team, starting at point guard at the 2013 FIBA Europe U-18 Championships.
He averaged a team-high 30.2 minutes while recording 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
The sophomore is one of three current Tech players to have earned adidas® OVC Freshman of the Week, having taken home the honor three times in 2014-15.
Jugovic was recruited by assistant coach Frank Davis, Tech's all-time career leader in 3-pointers made (251) and 3-point percentage (.407). Davis believes Jugovic can break both records in his career, and the numbers support that claim so far.
CAPTAIN COMEBACK
Named one of two team captains following last season, Torrance Rowe has accepted the role again and is leading by example.
For the eighth time in two years, the Golden Eagles completed a comeback of 10 points or more with Rowe making a large impact on the outcome. He has hit the game-winning or tying shot in four of those contests and in five total games.
In a bizarre finish, Tennessee State guard Keron DeShields was fouled from 3-point range with 5.5 seconds to play, sinking all three attempts to tie the game at 79.
Rowe raced down the court, threw up a shot fake and earned his own trip to the line for three attempts, this time with 0.5 seconds left. He sank the first two free throws before missing the final on purpose to give Tech the 13-point rally and victory.
Facing Miami (Ohio) at home, the Rowe led Tech back from a 12-point deficit thanks to five 3-pointers and 23 total points, including 13 in the second half.
After erasing a 16-point deficit that included a 14-point advantage in favor of Lipscomb at the half, the Bisons' Nathan Moran picked Rowe's pocket at half court for a wide-open layup and 78-76 lead with 17 seconds to play.
Rowe answered the bell, however, draining the game-winning 3-pointer with just eight seconds left on the scoreboard, his second game-winning three of his career.
Down by 15 points with just over 10 minutes to play Tech rallied to tie in-state rival East Tennessee State with a little over three minutes left thanks to a 3-pointer by Aleksa Jugovic, assisted by Rowe.
The senior guard then hit the final free throw to give Tech its two-point cushion that would eventually result in the final score of 63-61.
With just five seconds remaining on the clock and Tech trailing Jackson State 71-69, Rowe raced the length of the court just in time to toss in a layup and beat the buzzer to knot things at 71. Tech overcame a 10-point, second-half deficit to defeat the Tigers 86-82 in overtime.
Rowe scored 17 of the team's final 28 points, all coming with less than three minutes to play in the second half.
Familiar with rallying his troops, Rowe showed the ability to put the team on his back last season in a thrilling, comeback victory over Chattanooga.
Trailing by as many as 19 points in the second half, the senior scored a then-career-high 18 points in leading the Golden Eagles to a 69-67 victory.
With the score tied at 65 with 30 seconds remaining, he drilled the game-winning three to cap the remarkable turnaround.
ONE SHOT, ONE OPPORTUNITY
After receiving just one year of eligibility from the NCAA following his transfer from South Plains College, Ryan Martin is out to make the most of his lone season at the Division I level.
The native of London, England was heavily recruited by St. John's University and drew interest from Arizona State, Gonzaga, VCU, Utah State and Louisiana, but the uncertainty of his status with the NCAA cooled most teams away from the big man.
Steve Payne loves Martin's energy level, raving about a motor that never seems to quit. He likes that the Brit plays with emotion and can use it to his advantage.
Against Robert Morris, Martin tied his career-high in points with 20 and added 10 boards. It marked his first double-double.
Against SIUE, Martin dominated inside for a career-high 26 points, going 8-for-13 from the field and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. He added seven rebounds as well.
He tallied his ninth double-double of the season against Morehead State, scoring 12 points while tying his season-high by corralling 14 rebounds.
On the year, Martin is averaging 14.0 points and 8.1 rebounds, the best mark on the team and fourth best in the league. He ranks 10th in the OVC in free throw percentage, hitting at a .781 clip.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
Steve Payne listed Shirmane Thomas as the top defender heading into the 2015-16 Tech squad, citing his physical strength, toughness and willingness to stick his nose in there and get a stop.
The guard has notched 24 steals and seven blocks so far while grabbing 3.5 rebounds per game, including a career-high seven at Iowa and against Tennessee State.
ROGERS THAT
One of Tech's most valuable scoring options, Hakeem Rogers has made the most of his opportunities coming off the bench this season, averaging 9.8 points and shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range in just 18.5 minutes per game.
One of four JUCO transfers on the team, Rogers became the first Tech player to hit four triples in his Golden Eagle debut in over 15 years, scoring 18 points.
Rogers owns three 20-point outings this season, including back-to-back 20-point performances during Tech's most crucial two-game swing of the year.
Against Tennessee State, the junior posted a career-high 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a 4-for-6 showing from beyond the arc.
In Tech's victory over Belmont, Rogers dropped 20 more on the scoreboard, firing at a 7-for-12 rate from the floor. He also recorded a career-high three steals.
EARNING A SPOT
A walk-on to the Tech roster back during the 2013-14 season, Mason Ramsey has done plenty to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches in his two seasons in the purple and gold.
The local Livingston, Tenn. native was awarded a scholarship by Steve Payne following the 2014-15 season, Ramsey's first year of action on the court in Eblen Center.
After redshirting in 2013-14, Ramsey became the first Tech freshman since 1986-87 to open his career with a double-double, posting 14 points and 14 rebounds.
At Jacksonville State, the sophomore played a career-high 31 minutes, scoring five points and grabbing six rebounds.
GOOD GENES
Courtney Alexander II has one of the best role models in which to model his game after that a freshman collegiate player can have. And he lives in the same house.
His father, Courtney Alexander Sr., was the 13th overall selection by the Orlando Magic in the 2000 NBA Draft.
Courtney Sr. went on to play three seasons in the Association, including stints with Dallas, Washington and New Orleans.
He also led the NCAA in scoring with 24.8 points per game as a senior at Fresno State.
Alexander II notched his first career double-double against Mississippi Valley State, posting career-highs with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He has four games with seven or more boards this season.
SOUTHPAWS
True freshman Courtney Alexander II is changing the hand he shoots with for the second time in his young career. As a prep player, the forward shot primarily with his left hand, making the switch to his right during his senior season. The rookie began the transition back to his left hand for the 2015-16 season in October.
Torrance Rowe also shoots left-handed as did former Golden Eagle and current Graduate Assistant Manager Mitchell Hill.
FAMILIAR ROOTS
By far the youngest player on the roster, Micaiah Henry hardly looks like a typical 18-year-old. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, there is plenty to work with in the post for the Tech squad. The youngster will sit out the 2015-16 season as a redshirt.
He also comes from some familiar territory to the Golden Eagle program, hailing from Columbia High School (Ga.).
TTU legend Lorenzo Coleman, Tech's all-time leader in blocked shots also attended Columbia High School. The post also posted the most double-doubles in program history with 40 in four years.
Photo by Jim Dillon
