COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech women's basketball
team used balanced scoring, a big run in the first half and stingy
defense from start to finish on the way to a 66-51 Ohio Valley
Conference victory over Eastern Kentucky Saturday night in Eblen
Center.
With the victory, the Golden Eagles (14-15/10-5 OVC) have clinched
the No. 3 seed in the OVC Tournament and a first-round bye on
opening night. Tech's first game in the tourney will come in the
quarterfinals on Thursday, March 1 at Nashville's Municipal
Auditorium.
The Golden Eagles have one regular season game remaining next
Saturday (Feb. 25) against Murray State.
Eastern Kentucky (12-13/7-7 OVC), meanwhile, slipped into a real
puzzle in the middle of the OVC standings with two games
remaining.
Junior Jala
Harris topped Tech in scoring with 17 points, including a
perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Senior Tacarra Hayes added
16 points, seven rebounds and four assists and senior Rachel Glidden
netted 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Freshman T'Keyah
Williams, making her first career start, grabbed six
boards.
Alex Jones was the top scorer for EKU with 13 points, along with
seven rebounds. Six other Colonels scored between five and eight
points, led by LaRa'e Allen with eight points and seven
rebounds.
Other than a pair of one-point leads midway in the first half,
Tech led the entire contest.
Things remained extremely tight for the first 12 minutes before
the Golden Eagles pieced together a 14-0 run that erased a 19-18
Colonel lead. Trailing by one, Harris hit a three, Hayes a jumper
and Brittany
Darling drained back-to-back layups to make it 27-19. Hayes
added another runner, and Glidden canned a three-point play with
2:40 remaining in the half and the Golden Eagles were up,
32-19.
The largest lead of the first half was 14 when Tech was up 35-21
with 42 second left before two EKU free throws made it a 12-point
game at the intermission.
Tech shot a scorching 51.9 percent from the field in the first
half (14-for-27) while EKU connected on 23.1 percent (6-for-26). A
9-for-10 effort at the line kept the Colonels in the game.
Tech maintained a double digit lead nearly the entire second half.
The Colonels used a 7-2 stretch to cut the difference down to
seven, 41-34, following a 3-pointer by Carla Booth, but two minutes
later Molly Head scored a jumper and the lead was back to double
figures for the remaining 10:41 of the contest. Tech pushed
the lead to 17 on three occasions, the largest margin of the
contest, before heading off the court with the 15-point win.
After hitting 51.9 percent in the first half, Tech cooled off to
38.5 percent in the second to finish the game with a 45.3 mark
overall. EKU hit 23 percent in the opening half and 32.1
percent in the second for a game mark of 27.8 percent.
EKU had a slim 38-37 edge in rebounds. Tech had only nine
turnovers in the contest and EKU had just 12.
The Golden Eagles will take a full week to prepare for their final
regular season game, hosting Murray State in an Ohio Valley
Conference doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tipoff of the women's
game is at 5:30 p.m., and doors to Eblen Center will open at 4:30
p.m.
Because of an expected large crowd, Tech students have been asked
to pick up tickets in advance. As of Friday, less than 400 lower
bowl student tickets remained for the game. Tickets are free
for Tech students by showing a valid TTU ID.
Non-student lower bowl tickets are sold out. Tech is currently
selling tickets to the public in the upper bowl.
For ticket information, please call (931) 372-3940 or visit the
Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center weekdays during regular
business hours.
June 8, 2012
TTU’s Kellie Cook named OVC’s SAAC representative
April 14, 2012
Golden Eagles Give Back at Healthy Kids Day
April 5, 2012
Hayes, Heady take top honors at annual Awards Dinner
March 5, 2012
Hayes and Harris named to OVC All-Tournament Team
March 3, 2012
Golden Eagles topped by UTM in OVC championship game
March 3, 2012
Golden Eagles battle UT Martin in OVC Finals
February 29, 2012
Golden Eagles await Eastern Kentucky Thursday
February 29, 2012
Hayes joins long list of elite Golden Eagles
February 28, 2012
Golden Eagles Hayes, Harris net all-OVC honors
February 27, 2012
Buy locally! Get your OVC Tournament Tickets from Tech Athletics
February 27, 2012
Harris earns third OVC Newcomer of the Week award
February 25, 2012
Golden Eagles dominate Lady Racers, 88-51 on Senior Night
February 23, 2012
Golden Eagles wrap up regular season at home with Senior Night
February 23, 2012
Messer named to class of 2012 SEC Greats
February 22, 2012
Ticket Update: Less than 1,000 tickets available for Saturday games
February 20, 2012
Ticket Update: About 2,400 tickets remain on sale for Saturday
February 18, 2012
Tech clinches No. 3 seed with 66-51 win over Eastern Kentucky
February 17, 2012
Getting to know Golden Eagle basketball player Jala Harris
February 16, 2012
OVC moves to East/West Divisional play in basketball for 2012-13
February 16, 2012
Golden Eagles host Eastern Kentucky Saturday
February 14, 2012
Harris nets second OVC Newcomer of the Week award
February 13, 2012
Golden Eagles edged by one in final minute by league-leading Panthers
February 12, 2012
Athletics announces ticket plan for TTU students for Feb. 25 games
February 12, 2012
Golden Eagles open up homestand against OVC-leading Eastern Illinois
February 11, 2012
Tech’s scoring runs are too much for Tennessee State to overcome
February 10, 2012
Final road game of regular season awaits Golden Eagles
February 6, 2012
Glidden helps Golden Eagles to come-from-behind road win at APSU
February 4, 2012
Golden Eagles top Gamecocks, earn another OVC road win
February 3, 2012
Golden Eagles look to bounce back against Jacksonville State
February 2, 2012
Molly Heady named to Academic All-District Team
February 1, 2012
Golden Eagles edged in overtime by SIUE Cougars
February 1, 2012
Women's basketball to host Think Pink Night Feb. 18 in Eblen Center
January 30, 2012
Tacarra Hayes honored by College Sports Madness
January 30, 2012
Golden Eagle defense, late Cook heroics top Morehead State
January 28, 2012
Balanced offensive attack gives Golden Eagles first OVC road win
January 26, 2012
Spirited, vocal student groups backing Golden Eagles, winning prizes
January 23, 2012
Tech shooting tops Gamecocks' rebounding as Golden Eagles win by six
January 22, 2012
Story of Tech signee Mariah Dean featured on Atlanta television
January 21, 2012
Golden Eagles need overtime, but finally subdue Redhawks, 60-57
January 17, 2012
Western Kentucky rebounds to claim 71-58 win over Golden Eagles
January 15, 2012
TTU wraps up non-conference schedule at Western Kentucky
January 14, 2012
Second half surge not enough to overcome Murray State
January 12, 2012
Tennessee Tech begins road trip Saturday at Murray State
January 11, 2012
Eblen Center under "blizzard" advisory for two upcoming games
January 10, 2012
Harris and Hayes net OVC honors
January 9, 2012
Golden Eagles win second straight, top TSU Tigers 80-71
January 8, 2012
Golden Eagles wrap up homestand Monday against Tennessee State
January 7, 2012
Golden Eagles net 18-point OVC home win over Morehead State
January 2, 2012
Late run not enough to overcome SIU Edwardsville
January 1, 2012
Golden Eagles continue OVC play at SIU Edwardsville
December 31, 2011
Golden Eagles begin OVC play Saturday at UT Martin
December 31, 2011
Late run leads Skyhawk women to OVC-opening win over Tech
December 28, 2011
Golden Eagles turn focus to OVC after five-point loss to Marshall
December 21, 2011
Lady Techsters top Golden Eagles in battle of legendary programs
December 20, 2011
Tennessee Tech wraps up road trip Wednesday at Louisiana Tech
December 19, 2011
Better late than never; Late surge lifts Tech to 68-64 win
December 18, 2011
Golden Eagles head to Louisiana to take on UL Monroe Warhawks
December 16, 2011
Hoop Troop members can bring a friend FREE to game vs. Marshall
December 13, 2011
Hayes named the OVC Player of the Week
December 10, 2011
TTU’s second half surge not enough to get by Samford
December 9, 2011
Golden Eagles head to Samford Saturday
December 7, 2011
Hayes leads Golden Eagles to 69-59 win over WKU Lady 'Toppers
December 6, 2011
Golden Eagles host old rival Western Kentucky Wednesday
December 5, 2011
Red-hot second half lifts Lipscomb to 66-61 win over Golden Eagles
December 4, 2011
Tech begins two-game homestand Monday against Lipscomb Lady Bisons
November 29, 2011
Shots won't fall as Golden Eagles downed by Alabama A&M
November 28, 2011
Golden Eagles travel to Alabama A&M
November 26, 2011
Catamounts slip past Tech with three-point, comeback victory
November 25, 2011
Golden Eagles welcome in Western Carolina Saturday
November 23, 2011
Golden Eagles come in at 25th in the Mid-Major Poll
November 23, 2011
Golden Eagles head to Middle Tennessee
November 23, 2011
Blue Raiders steal 74-55 victory from Golden Eagles
November 20, 2011
Tennessee Tech women’s basketball hosts Tennessee Wesleyan
November 18, 2011
Long Island holds off Tech in Eblen Center WNIT tilt
November 16, 2011
Golden Eagles remain steady at 16th in Mid-Major Poll
November 14, 2011
Golden Eagles conclude Preseason WNIT with home game against Long Island
November 13, 2011
Golden Eagles stopped in preseason WNIT by No. 22 UCLA, 74-52
November 12, 2011
TTU women’s basketball to take on UCLA in second round of Preseason WNIT
November 11, 2011
Women's basketball team to welcome Millionth Fan in Eblen Center
November 11, 2011
Mariah Dean and Tia Nicholson sign with Tennessee Tech
November 11, 2011
Kellie Cook's career-performance lifts Tech to season-opening WNIT win
November 9, 2011
TTU women’s basketball team begins season at ETSU
November 8, 2011
WHUB to air weekly Coach's Show with Messer, Payne each Wednesday
November 8, 2011
Messer speaks at Cookeville Kiwanis Club
November 8, 2011
Preseason WNIT to feature top competition from around NCAA
November 6, 2011
Basketball Poster Nights at two home games in November
November 6, 2011
Golden Eagles host Bryan College in exhibition contest
November 4, 2011
TTU women’s basketball to unveil 2010-11 championship banner
November 3, 2011
Golden Eagles women’s basketball ranked 16th in Mid-Major Poll
November 3, 2011
Golden Eagles set to make a run at the NCAA Tournament
November 1, 2011
Start times for 2011-12 Golden Eagle basketball games announced
October 26, 2011
Payne, Messer speak to Cookeville Noonday Rotary Club
October 25, 2011
Tech picked first in OVC; Hayes named Preseason Player of the Year
October 21, 2011
Hoop Troop forming: New kids' fan club for Tech Basketball teams
October 20, 2011
Tennessee Tech women’s basketball hosts “Meet the Golden Eagles”
September 23, 2011
Women's Basketball opens season at WNIT Preseason Tournament
September 15, 2011
Golden Eagle women's basketball hosts Welcome Back Picnic