By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—After opening the week with a win, the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team (1-1) will continue game action on Thursday when the Golden Eagles host UNC Greensboro (1-1) in a 5:30 p.m. contest in the Hooper Eblen Center.
Tech and UNC Greensboro first and only meeting was last season when the Golden Eagles defeated the Spartans 73-64 on their home court.
Four Purple and Gold players found themselves in double figures: Samaria Howard, Alliyah Smith, Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson, and Hannah Goolsby.
Smith posted her first double-double of the year in the contest with 13 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 50 percent from the field (3-6) and 77.8 percent from the free throw line (7-9).
Former Golden Eagle Samaria Howard led Tech with 19 points in the game. Howard went 5-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-4 from the three-point range. She also connected on 7-of-10 from the charity stripe while rounding out a solid performance by grabbing four off the glass.
Hickson put up 12 points, while grabbing four steals for the Golden Eagles and Goolsby posted 11 points with 6 boards in the matchup.
As a team, Tech shot 45.3 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from downtown, and 73.3 percent from the line. The Golden Eagles grabbed 36 off the glass to the Spartan's 34, and forced 18 turnovers while allowing 19. UNC Greensboro shot 35 percent from the field, 25 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Lucy Mason led the Spartans with 25 points and five assists. Mason hit 8-of-21 from the floor and 8-of-11 from the line.
Bailey Williams tallied 13 points with 4 boards for UNCG, while teammate Shanese Harris added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block for the Spartans.
Thus far this season, the Golden Eagles shoot 32.8 percent from the field, 18.5 percent from downtown, and 58.6 percent from the line. Tech averages 41 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals per game, while UNC Greensboro averages 42.5 boards, 12.5 assists, and 11.5 steals per game. The Spartans shoot 40.6 percent from the floor, 25.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Hickson leads the Golden Eagles averaging 14.5 points per game on the year. She shoots 44 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line. Goolsby leads Tech off the glass grabbing a team-high 13 boards on the season and dishing out a team-high seven assists.
Nadine Soliman leads UNCG in points averaging 14.5 per game. She averages 5.0 rebounds per game and shoots 40 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from the three-point range, and 25 percent from the line. Alexis Pitchford is another key player on the Spartan lineup. She has tallied a team-high 13 assists thus far this year while also tallying 11 boards and shooting 28.6 percent from the floor and 83.3 percent from the line.
You can follow the Golden Eagles online on the TTU Sports and Tennessee Tech Women's Basketball Facebook page or on Twitter at @TTUGoldenEagles and @TTUWBB.
Photo by Jim Dillon
