COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Saturday night, the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will play UT Martin as both teams jockey for position late in this Ohio Valley Conference season. The Golden Eagles (10-14, 5-9 OVC) and Skyhawks (7-16, 5-8 OVC) are set to square off at 5:30 p.m. at the Eblen Center.
Tech is coming off of an 80-67 win over Murray State on Thursday, avenging a loss to the Racers earlier this season. The Golden Eagles performed at a high level in all aspects of the game, shooting a season-high 80.0 percent from the free throw stripe and connecting on 46.0 percent of its shots from the field. The Golden Eagles led the rebounding battle, 41-29, and finished with a 36-23 advantage in the paint.
TTU will look to avenge another loss on Saturday as UT Martin got the best of the Golden Eagles in their first match-up this season. UT Martin trailed nearly the entire game but got hot when it counted most as the Skyhawks defeated Tech, 56-52, to snap a 29-game OVC losing streak.
The Skyhawks are coming off a, 56-51, loss to Jacksonville State on Thursday. The loss makes the Golden Eagles and Skyhawks separated by just a half a game in the OVC standing. UT Martin is tied for fifth place, while Tech is tied for eight in the tightly contested conference.
Tech will have the support of the hometown fans on Saturday, which has been a major help for the Golden Eagles this season. On the other hand, the Skyhawks have struggled away from Marin, Tenn. TTU is 8-3 at home this season, while UT Martin has posted a 2-12 record on the road.
Freshman Kellie Cook has been a catalyst for Tech of late, recording her first career double-double against Morehead State last Saturday before tallying a career-high 26 points against Murray State on Thursday. Against the Racers, she made a career-high five trifectas and finished 9-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-9 from long distance. The guard is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game.
Also giving Tech some help of late has been freshman Tiara Hopper. A forward from Louisville, Ky., Hopper has given Tech a presence on the low block and is averaging 12.0 points per game over her last three contests -- almost double her season average of 6.3 ppg.
Tickets are still available for the game and can be purchased through the Tennessee Tech Ticket Office. For more information, call 372-3940.
For fans who cannot attend the game, Saturday's contest will be broadcast live locally in Cookeville on WCTE. Fans can also follow the action on a live Web stream through www.ovcsports.tv or live stats through www.ttusports.com.
