By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will continue its fight to stay atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings Saturday afternoon, hosting Little Rock for the first time in the Hooper Eblen Center in a 3:00 p.m. CT tilt.
All men's basketball alumni are invited back for the contest as part of Legend's Weekend, with complimentary tickets for men's basketball alumni and their guests available. In addition to welcoming Tech men's basketball alumni back, recognitions are planned for the 1957-58 OVC Championship team celebrating its 65th anniversary and the 1962-63 OVC Championship team celebrating its 60th anniversary. Additionally, members of the All-Century Team will be recognized at halftime of the contest.
Please RSVP with the number of tickets you will need to Kristie Phillips at kphillips@tntech.edu or call 931-372-6857.
Fans will have plenty of options to follow the action, with Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell providing radio coverage on 106.1 The Eagle and Dylan Vazzano and Michael Cooper sharing the call on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on the WTTU student radio station 88.5 FM.
Little Rock comes into the contest following a tough, 76-72 loss at Morehead State Thursday evening. The Trojans were looking for their second straight OVC win after snapping a six-game skid in league play with an 89-77 victory over Tennessee State last Saturday.
Tech and Little Rock squared off for the first time in program history last Thursday, a 77-75 decision that went in favor of the Golden Eagles. It marked Tech's fifth-straight win and the Trojans' sixth-straight loss.
The Golden Eagles enter Saturday after turning in an impressive offensive display in an 80-68 win over SIUE Thursday evening. The purple and gold led by double figures for much of the night, avenging a 64-51 loss in Edwardsville on the opening night of league action in December.
For the night, graduate forward Jaylen Sebree delivered his fourth double-double of the season, dropping 20 points and 11 rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting and a 5-for-6 performance from the charity stripe. Junior guard Brett Thompson was just behind his teammate, producing 18 points behind a 9-for-10 performance at the free-throw line.
Junior Jayvis Harvey and graduate Ty Perry each joined the double-digit scoring club as well. Playing a game-high 38 minutes, Perry turned in 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Harvey also put forth 10 points on the night.
Diante Wood made his return after missing four games due to injury and made his minutes count, contributing eight points, five boards, and five assists in 20 minutes off the bench. Local Sparta native Grant Slatten finished the contest with seven points and five rebounds while rookie Grant Strong notched seven points as well.
Following Saturday's match-up, Tech will make a trip east to Kentucky for a 6:00 p.m. CT tilt at Morehead State on Thursday, Feb. 2.
Photo by Jim Dillon