By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Free throws and rebounding proved to be the difference makers in the Tennessee Tech men's basketball contest Thursday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to visiting Ohio Valley Conference rival Southern Indiana in a tight, down-to-the-wire affair in the Hooper Eblen Center, 74-71.
The Screaming Eagles (6-16, 3-6) converted 11 straight free throws down the stretch to turn around a two-point Tech (7-15, 2-7) lead into a three-point win. For the night, the visitors from Evansville knocked down 19 of its 24 trips to the charity stripe while the purple and gold knocked down eight of just 11 visits to the line.
The 11-point differential at the free throw line helped USI make up for Tech's edge from the field, with the Golden Eagles sinking four more shots behind a defense that forced 15 turnovers. USI also won the battle on the glass in the contest, outpacing the Cookeville crew 29-21 overall on the boards.
Both offenses shot the ball well on the night, each firing above 50 percent from the floor. The Screaming Eagles ended the night 9-for-15 from beyond the arc for a 60 percent showing, nearly double their season efficiency. Tech shot 45 percent from distance, sinking 9-of-20 treys.
While the Screaming Eagles led for nearly 32 minutes during the tilt, the contest remained close all evening, featuring eight lead changes and four ties. USI's 12-point advantage with just under four minutes to play in the first half was quickly hacked away, as the Golden Eagles closed the opening period on a 10-1 run.
Back into the Tech lineup, senior guard Jayvis Harvey led all scorers on the night with 20 points in 37 minutes of action, chipping in a team-high six assists. He finished 5-for-7 from distance before fouling out with 2:26 to play.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis was efficient, finishing the night 7-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe on his way to 17 points. He locked down two steals while dishing out two assists with three rebounds.
Senior guard Diante Wood tallied 12 points, five assists, and a team-high-tying six rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench. Rookie forward Rylee Samons enjoyed a strong performance in the contest, contributing 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting with a 2-for-4 display from deep. Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe notched seven points with six rebounds.
USI guard Jeremiah Hernandez led the visitors with 19 points behind an 8-for-10 evening from the free-throw line. AJ Smith posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards while Nick Hittle finished 5-for-6 from the floor with 12 points. Jack Mielke and Jack Campion ended things with 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Campion also dishing out eight assists.
The Golden Eagles will stay put in the Hoop for a Saturday matinee with longtime, OVC foe Morehead State. Tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT in Cookeville on Feb. 3 against the league's top-ranked squad.
Photo by Jim Dillon
