By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team (7-16, 3-7 OVC) hit the road on a two-game losing streak to compete against Jacksonville State (9-13, 4-6 OVC) in a 2 p.m. contest at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
The two teams are currently neck-and-neck in the conference standings, the Golden Eagles with a 3-7-conference record and the Gamecocks with a 4-6 record in the OVC.
Tech leads the series over Jacksonville State 17-7, however the Gamecocks saw victory last when they defeated the Golden Eagles in the 2014-15 season 67-58. Tech, however, holds the 9-3 advantage over Jacksonville State for games played on the Gamecock's home court.
Samaria Howard continues to lead the Golden Eagles and serve as a power player in the Ohio Valley Conference. Howard's 474 total points on the season rank her second in the OVC and ninth in the NCAA. Her 20.6 points per game also rank her 21st in the NCAA, while her 118 made free throws rank her eighth and her 171 made field goals rank her 11th. Howard has scored in double-figures in all 23 of Tech's games this season, including 14, 20+ point games, and two double-double showings.
Sophomore, Yaktavia Hickson is another key player on the Golden Eagle squad. Hickson recently hit a career-high 23 points in Tech's last game against Belmont. Hickson is the Golden Eagle's third leading scorer, averaging 8.7 points per game. She shoots 40.5 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from the 3-point range, and 84.2 percent from the line.
Tech's latest addition to the Golden Eagle squad has also proven to be of benefit to the team. Candace Parson made her first appearance of the season at Eastern Kentucky and helped the Tech team defeat the Colonels 77-72. In her three games played, Parson is averaging 10.3 points and 4.0 boards per game. She shoots 41.7 percent from the field and 73.3 percent from the charity stripe.
As a team, Tech averages 62.5 points, 36.6 rebounds, and 18.0 turnovers per game. The Golden Eagles shoot 39.3 percent from the floor, 29.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Jacksonville State averages 56.4 points, 36.1 rebounds, and 15.9 turnovers per game. The Gamecocks shoot 36.1 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point range, and 66.3 percent from the line.
Briana Benson leads Jacksonville State, averaging 11.8 points and 3.9 boards per game. Benson shoots 32.3 percent from the floor, 29 percent from the 3-point range, and 88.5 percent from the line.
The Gamecocks power in the paint comes from sophomore forward Tyler Phelion. Phelion averages 7.3 rebounds per game, ranking her third in the OVC in rebounding. Phelion is also Jacksonville's third leading scorer, averaging 9.3 points per game, while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from the charity stripe.
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