Posted: Feb 14, 2018
By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech hits the road for the final time in the 2017-18 regular season, paying visits to Austin Peay and Murray State to wrap up its home-and-home series with the two teams.
Tech tips off at Austin Peay on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5:15 p.m. CT and at Murray State on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. CT.
COMING UP
Tech met both Austin Peay and Murray State at the beginning of January in Cookeville, splitting the pair of games that week. The Golden Eagles nabbed their first OVC win this season against APSU, defeating the Governors by a score of 63-59. All but one Golden Eagle who played put points on the board, and Tech out-rebounded Austin Peay 39-31.
With the win, Tech pushed its all-time record against Austin Peay to 77-20 in favor of the Golden Eagles. Tech also has the advantage in Clarksville, leading the series 27-10 on the road.
Two days later against Murray State, Tech put up a good first-half performance, leading by two points at halftime thanks to a 46.2 field goal percentage. The Racers recovered in the second half, outscoring Tech 38-27 and out-rebounding the Golden Eagles 24-12 to get a 72-63 win. Freshman MacKenzie Coleman put together a double-double performance with a then-career-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.
Tech leads Murray State 64-17 all-time, including 24-12 in Murray.
Coleman will be one to watch in these upcoming games for Tech – the freshman needs five blocks to tie and six to break the single-season freshman record for blocked shots, which Melinda Clayton Hatfield owns with her 51 blocks in the 1986-87 season. Coleman has 46 blocks this year and is averaging 1.8 per game.
LAST TIME OUT
Last week, the Golden Eagles played at Jacksonville State on Thursday and traveled back to Cookeville for a Saturday match-up with Belmont.
Tech kicked off the week on a two-game winning streak with its 60-58 victory at JSU, grabbing its first win on the Gamecocks' home court since December 2012. The game was just Jacksonville State's second conference loss in Alabama this season.
The Golden Eagles returned home Saturday for a date with OVC-leading Belmont. The Bruins would go on to take the 68-60 win behind 26 points and 11 rebounds from senior Kylee Smith, but Belmont needed a full 40 minutes to get by Tech. The Golden Eagles became just the fifth team all season to hold Belmont to less than 70 points and also limited the Bruins to a season-low four 3-pointers and just 19.0 shooting from the 3-point line. The difference in the game turned out to be free throws, as Belmont made 24 of its 36 tries compared to Tech's 15-of-17 mark.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
at Austin Peay
Thursday, Feb. 15, 5:15 p.m. CT
Live stream: OVC Digital Network
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle
at Murray State
Saturday, Feb. 17, 5 p.m. CT
Live stream: OVC Digital Network
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Austin Peay Governors (14-11, 7-7 OVC)
- 2016-17 record: 14-16, 8-8 Ohio Valley Conference (tied for fourth in the regular season; lost to 4-seed UT Martin 59-43 in the tournament first round)
- Notables: APSU head coach David Midlick and Tech head coach Kim Rosamond share the same alma mater, as they were both Ole Miss Rebels in the 90's. Midlick played at Ole Miss from 1988-91, helping the Rebels to an NIT appearance in 1989 and a Southeastern Conference Tournament championship appearance in 1990. Midlick led the team in both free-throw and three-point field goal percentage in 1989… Austin Peay returns to Clarksville for the first time since Jan. 27 after enduring a four-game road trip. APSU split its four away games over the past two weeks, defeating Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois and falling to UT Martin and Murray State. In its two losses, the Governors allowed a combined 191 points (100 points to UT Martin and 91 points to Murray State).
Murray State Racers (9-16, 5-9 OVC)
- 2016-17 record: 15-14, 7-9 Ohio Valley Conference (tied for sixth in the regular season)
- Notables: Senior Racer Ke'Shunan James is one of two OVC players to average more than 20 points per game (20.7) and one of four to average more than eight rebounds (8.3). In her previous game with Tech, she managed just 16 points and three rebounds… Murray State will play its final home game of the season on Saturday vs. Tech. The Racers have had trouble defending their home court, breaking even with a 6-6 record inside the CFSB Center. Murray State will welcome Jacksonville State (15-10, 9-5 OVC) to Kentucky on Thursday.
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Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
