By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With a 1-3 start to Ohio Valley Conference play, the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team looks to get that turned around this weekend as the Golden Eagles host Southeast Missouri on Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Hooper Eblen Center. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Metz and Steve Smith will broadcast the game on ESPN+ (subscription required).

Saturday's game is also the Tech women's annual We Back Pat game, honoring late Tennessee women's basketball legend Pat Summitt in her fight against Alzheimer's disease.

While the Golden Eagles were idle Thursday and will only have one more game next week at Tennessee State before resuming the traditional OVC Thursday/Saturday routine, Tech (6-9, 1-3 OVC) have used the opportunity to rest up while continue to work toward climbing back toward the top of the standings.

The Golden Eagles' first four OVC opponents of the season currently stand at the top of the league charts with Southern Indiana holding on to the only unblemished conference record left at a 5-0 mark. Little Rock, Morehead State and UT Martin all have a 3-1 record, while Western Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois is at 2-2.

Tech and Tennessee State stand two games back of the top four, while Lindenwood and SIUE continue to search for their first conference wins of the season.

Two of the three conference losses for the Golden Eagles have been one-possession games as Tech had an opportunity to tie or win against Little Rock in a 59-57 contest, then had a last-second chance last Saturday at Southern Indiana, falling 69-66. Seven points separate the Golden Eagles from a 1-3 league record and a 3-1 mark.

That said, championships aren't won in January and there is indeed still a lot of basketball to be played with just four games decided in the 18-game OVC slate.

The Redhawks stand just ahead of the Golden Eagles in the current standings, posting a 5-10 overall record to go along with the 2-2 conference mark. SEMO defeated second-year OVC member Lindenwood 80-63 in Cape Girardeau on Thursday night, cruising to the victory behind four double-digit efforts.

Jaliyah Green scored 16 points to lead the way, while Alecia Doyle scored 14, Kiyley Flowers 12 and Amiyah Buchanan 12. The Redhawks shot a blistering 61.2 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent in the second, 64.3 in the third and 75.0 in the fourth. SEMO also went 15-for-19 from the free-throw line, while scoring 40 points in the paint and 21 off turnovers.

Makayla Wallace was the only double-digit scorer for Lindenwood, collecting 10 points in the loss.

SEMO opened OVC play with a surprising 75-37 loss at home to Southern Indiana, but with the way the Screaming Eagles have started the league slate, the surprise is fading. After a three-point loss to Morehead State, the Redhawks have pulled together back-to-back wins with a road victory at Western Illinois (72-66) before the home win Thursday night against the Lions.

As a team, SEMO is averaging 65.0 points a game, while allowing 69.0. The Redhawks shoot .395 from the field, .255 from 3-point range and .747 from the line. They average 4.1 3-pointers a game and 13.6 free throws made.

In contrast, the Golden Eagles are averaging 67.5 points a game and allowing 64.5. Tech is shooting .408 from the field, .331 from long-range and .743 at the stripe, averaging 7.1 3-pointers and 13.1 free throws.

Green leads the Redhawks in scoring with 14.8 points per game, while Doyle is averaging 12.7. Amiyah Buchanan leads the team in rebounding with a 4.9-rebound clip, with Flowers leading the team in assists (43) and steals (37).

Maaliya Owens leads Tech in scoring at 14.7 points a night, with Reghan Grimes leading the team in rebounds (4.9 rpg), Peyton Carter in assists (37) and Reagan Hurst in steals (18).

Following Saturday's contest, the Golden Eagles head to Tennessee State for a Thursday contest, then hit the road the following week to Eastern Illinois and SIUE to close out the month of January on the road. Tech's next home game is Feb. 1 against Southern Indiana.

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