By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Free-throw shooting and rebounding were the difference makers for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell late to Western Carolina, 69-65, in the Hooper Eblen Center in their first of two games as part of the Southeast Triangular multi-team event.
Tech (2-5) led for much of the evening, using superior shooting for the majority of the contest to stay on top, but the visiting Catamounts (6-0) capped a second-half comeback behind a decisive advantage on the glass. WCU corralled 39 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, all while holding the purple and gold to 27 in the affair.
The Catamounts led in the opening half by as much as five with six minutes to play, but the Cookeville crew ended the opening stanza on a 16-6 run, earning a 34-29 halftime edge. The Golden Eagles expanded their advantage to as much as nine points in the second half, but couldn't find the same shooting touch as the first half to sustain things down the stretch.
Over the first 20 minutes of the night, the Tech squad was highly efficient on its offensive possessions, hitting 60.9 percent of its attempts from the floor while holding a potent Catamount offense to just 43.3 percent shooting and a 2-for-11 showing from distance.
In the second half, the script was flipped, as the purple and gold struggled to find the same success from the field, shooting just 37 percent for the stanza. WCU fired at a 53.3 percent clip, sinking 6-of-13 tries from downtown.
The Golden Eagles couldn't take full advantage of its clear upper hand at the charity stripe on the night either, converting just 12 of their 21 opportunities in the contest. Western Carolina finished just 3-for-7 from the free-throw line, but made up for it with three more makes from 3-point range on the night.
Down the stretch, Tech tried to hold on until the final whistle, boasting a four-point lead with just under three minutes to play. The Catamounts outscored the Golden Eagles 10-2 the remainder of the contest, allowing just a pair of free throws and no field goals by the purple and gold while also hitting a pair of clutch triples.
Pacing the Tech effort in the affair with a team-high 17 points was senior guard Jayvis Harvey, who also snagged six rebounds in 37 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe registered his first career double-double behind 13 points and a team-high 10 boards. The Memphis native finished 6-for-10 from the floor while also leading the team with four assists, two steals, and three blocks.
Playing all but one minute on the evening, junior guard David Early turned in 15 points with a trio of rebounds. Rounding out the double-digit scoring efforts for Tech was sophomore guard Josiah Davis, providing 14 points to the mix on 5-for-6 shooting.
A trip south to Florence, Ala. is next on the docket for the Golden Eagles, who will visit North Alabama to conclude the Southeast Triangular MTE on Thursday. Tip is slated for 7:00 p.m. CT at CB&S Bank Arena.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech men's basketball are now on sale. To order, call 931-372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or visit TTUSports.com.
Photo by Jim Dillon
