By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will start a three-game road trip on Saturday as the Golden Eagles head down to Huntsville to take on Alabama A&M on Saturday.
Tipoff for the game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. The game will be streamed through Alabama A&M's Bulldogs All-Access service with Tyler Clark providing the call.
The Golden Eagles (0-2) will look to bounce back from a tough loss to visiting Chattanooga on Wednesday night as Tech missed its first nine shots of the contest as the Mocs built an 18-2 lead through the opening period. The Golden Eagles fought back in the second half, but was unable to erase the early deficit created as Tech shot 9.1 percent from the field in the first quarter, then 10.0 percent in the fourth.
It was an uncharacteristic game for the Tech women and they'll look to get back on track Saturday against the Bulldogs, who also enter the contest looking for their first win of the 2023-24 campaign after taking road losses to UAB (70-63) and Colorado State (83-39).
Alabama A&M is currently averaging 51.0 points per game, while allowing 76.5. Amiah Simmons is the Bulldogs' scoring leader as the only player on the roster averaging double-digit scoring with a 10.0-point mark, while also averaging 4.0 rebounds a game. Alisha Wilson and Asianae Nicholson lead the team in rebounding with 7.5- and 6.0-board averages.
As a team, AAMU is shooting .355 from the field, .172 from 3-point range with five makes on 29 tries, while also shooting .550 at the free-throw line with an 11-for-20 effort thus far.
The Golden Eagles, following a 97-64 loss at Ball State and a 70-45 loss to Chattanooga, are currently averaging 54.5 points per game, while allowing an average of 83.5 points in a challenging pre-conference schedule that still has two Southeastern Conference foes and traditional rival Middle Tennessee ahead.
Vanderbilt transfer Yaubryon Chambers currently stands as the team's scoring leader with a 13.0-point average, while redshirt sophomore Reagan Hurst is close to the double-digit mark with a 9.5-point scoring average. Sophomore Reghan Grimes leads the Golden Eagles in rebounds with a 5.0-carom average, with senior Peyton Carter just one board away with a 4.5-rebound mark.
As a team, Tech is shooting .424 from the field, .333 from long-range on an 8-for-24 showing so far with Carter leading the team with four made treys. The Golden Eagles are also shooting .657 from the free-throw line with 23 made on 35 shots.
Turnovers have been a thorn in the side through the first two games of the season as Tech is averaging 22.5 and currently has a minus-6.5 turnover margin, compared to a 13.6 average last season and a plus-2.4 margin.
This is the fourth game all-time between Tech and AAMU with the Golden Eagles winning the first meeting 82-67 and last season's 78-68 contest. The home team has won all three of the previous meetings.
In last season's game in Cookeville, the Golden Eales went 16-for-17 at the charity stripe, while also shooting 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter. After trailing the first quarter, Tech pulled ahead in the second and didn't look back, keeping the Bulldogs at arms' length for the victory. Maaliya Owens led the Golden Eagles with 16 points, while Jada Guinn scored 14, Jordan Brock 12 and Peyton Carter 11.
Amani Free and Toni Grace led AAMU with 19 points each, while Taylor Smith had 13 for 51 of the Bulldogs' 68 points in the game. Of the three, Smith is the only one returning from those leading scorers, but Smith has not seen any action so far in the new campaign. The same goes for Tech as Brock ended her eligibility and Guinn is using her graduate transfer season at Chattanooga.
The road trip continues next week as the Golden Eagles travel down to Florida on Thanksgiving weekend for the Daytona Beach Classic. Tech faces Missouri next Friday, then Stetson on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles return home on Wednesday, Nov. 29 as they host Lincoln Memorial.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
