By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team (8-14, 5-4 OVC) is ready to get right back into action on Wednesday when they host OVC opponent UT Martin (6-16, 3-6 OVC) in a 5:30 p.m. contest at the Hooper Eblen Center.
This will be the 67th meeting ever between the two teams, with the Golden Eagles holding the 44-22 advantage in the series. The Skyhawks have won the last nine matchups, so Tech will look to snap UT Martin's streak on Wednesday. Most recently, the Skyhawks defeated the Golden Eagles in the 2015-16 season on their own home court by a 67-53 score. However, for games played in Cookeville, Tech is favored by an 18-3 margin.
Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson leads the Golden Eagles averaging 17.0 points per game. She shoots 42.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from the three-point range, and 87 percent from the free throw line (third best mark in the OVC). Hickson also averages 4.4, which ties for the second-best mark on the squad.
Another key player on the Tech lineup is senior Treyvonna "Trey" Brooks. Brooks leads the Golden Eagles off the glass averaging 6.5 boards per game, while also standing as the second leading scorer averaging 10.4 points per game. She shoots 49.5 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 62.9 percent from the charity stripe. Brooks is also the second leader in blocks (28) and steal (26) and third in assists (43).
Senior Hannah Goolsby has been anther key player in the Purple and Gold efforts. Goolsby averages 8.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 29.3 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from downtown, and 75 percent from the free throw line. She has accumulated 42 assists and 21 steals thus far this season.
Kendall Spray leads UT Martin this season averaging 13.1 points per game. Spray shoots 40.8 percent from the floor, 39 percent from the three-point range, and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. She averages 2.9 rebounds per contest while totaling 23 assists and 28 steals on the year.
Three other Skyhawks are averaging double-figures this season: Myah Taylor (12.5 ppg), Emany Robertson (11.2 ppg), and Ashton Feldhaus (10.5 ppg).
Feldhaus is also UT Martin's leader off the boards averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. She shoots 39.9 percent from the floor, 30.9 percent from downtown, and 81.8 percent from the free throw line.
Robertson leads the Skyhawks in assists and steals this season, accumulating 98 assists and 49 steals thus far. She ranks fifth in the OVC in assists, second in steals, and ninth in assist/turnover ratio. She shoots a team second-best 49.7 percent from the field, a team-high 45 percent from the three-point range, and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (third best on the squad).
As a team, Tech shoots 39 percent from the floor, 29.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 70 percent from the charity stripe while UT Martin shoots 41.8 percent from the field, 35 percent from downtown, and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles average 62 points, 37.5 boards, and 17.4 turnovers per contest to the Skyhawks' 70.2 points, 33.2 rebounds, and 16.2 turnovers.
You can follow Tech online on the TTU Sports and Tennessee Tech women's basketball Facebook pages or on Twitter at @TTUGoldenEagles and @TTUWBB.
Photo by Jim Dillon
