COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Jala Harris and Diamond Henderson led a
balanced offensive attack and everybody pitched in for a strong
defensive showing as the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball
team opened the 2012-13 season with a convincing 86-47 victory over
Tennessee Wesleyan Saturday night in Eblen Center.
Harris scored 16 points while Henderson matched that with a
career-best 16 points as the Golden Eagles handed first-year head
coach Jim Davis his first victory in Cookeville. Tech is 1-0 while
Tennessee Wesleyan slipped to 1-3.
Tech also got 11 points from freshman Quira Demery and nine from
Lashay Davis, each playing their first games as Golden Eagles.
Sophomore T’Keyah Williams had five of Tech’s 13 steals
and added seven points and a team-best six rebounds.
Heather Gibson scored 13 to lead the Bulldogs while Cody Houck
added 10 points.
The Tech defensive effort held Tennessee Wesleyan to 34 percent
shooting from the field (16-for-47) including just 23.1 percent
from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles connected on 52.3 percent of
their shots overall (34-for-65) and 47.6 percent from long distance
(10-for-21).
The Golden Eagles roared out to a double-digit lead in the first
11 minutes, going up 20-9. The first half advantage grew steadily
into the 20s, before Tech took a 25-point lead into halftime,
42-17.
Davis used his entire bench throughout the night, and the
lead ballooned to 34 points midway in the second half. Tech’s
largest lead of the evening came with 1:45 to play when Demery made
two free throws for a 41-point margin, 81-40.
The Golden Eagles remain at home next week for two games. Tech
hosts Akron on Tuesday night and Rice on Saturday. Both games begin
at 7 p.m.
For ticket information, please visit the Athletics Ticket Office
in Eblen Center or call (931) 372-3940.