By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Only six games remain on Tennessee Tech's schedule with the Ohio Valley Conference championships in Evansville looming. As time is starting to sift out of the hourglass on the season, the Golden Eagles still find themselves in position to strike in the conference race.
That makes this four-game homestand – starting Tuesday night against Tennessee State – vital as Tech is still very much in position for a second-place finish in the league and a double-bye in the conference tournament.
Tipoff Tuesday night is set for 5:30 p.m. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith will break down the action on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Tuesday's game is Tech's annual Play4Kay game, honoring those who have been affected by all forms of cancer as every member of the Golden Eagle will be playing in honor of someone dear to them who has been impacted by the disease. The Play4Kay initiative is in honor of legendary N.C. State women's basketball head coach Kay Yow, who fought a 22-year battle with breast cancer until her passing in 2009.
Fans are encouraged to stop by the table in the Eblen Center lobby to write the name of a loved one impacted by cancer on one of the "I Play 4" cards.
Tuesday is also Greek Night with Tech's fraternities, sororities and their alumni encouraged to attend the doubleheader. Title sponsor for Tuesday's games is Golden Oak Sedation and Dental Implant Center.
Tech (11-12, 6-6 OVC) currently stands in seventh in the league standings, but only two games behind Little Rock (8-4 OVC) in second. Between the two teams is a four-team logjam of Western Illinois, Morehead State, UT Martin and Eastern Illinois at 7-5. The Golden Eagles face Western Illinois on Thursday, Eastern Illinois next Saturday and travel to UT Martin and Little Rock in the final week of the regular season.
There's definitely some room to move in the standings and it's going to come down to some huge games in the Eblen Center. However, Tech has not seen a lot of success at home in league play, going 1-4 this season in the Hoop – and that makes these last four home games vital to the team's postseason hopes.
Tennessee State has lost five of its last seven games, but three of those have gone to overtime – a 79-71 loss at Western Illinois, a 71-67 loss at Eastern Illinois and an 81-73 defeat at Lindenwood that went two extra sessions. The Lady Tigers also dropped a one-point, 48-47 decision at Southeast Missouri. The two wins in that stretch – both in Nashville – were against OVC leader Southern Indiana (65-58) and Morehead State (71-58).
TSU (7-15, 4-8 OVC) has not won a road contest this season, going 0-10 away from the Gentry Center. The Lady Tigers have only lost twice at home in league play with UT Martin (75-69) and Tech (86-81) taking wins on TSU's home court.
As a team, the Lady Tigers are averaging 62.6 points a game on offense, while allowing 69.6 points a game. The team is shooting .384 from the floor, .245 from 3-point range and .700 at the line. Sanaa' St. Andre continues to be one of the league's top newcomers and scorers, averaging 15.1 points a game, while Zyion Shannon is scoring 10.4 points a game coming off the bench.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, have won their last two games, topping Southeast Missouri 76-66 and Lindenwood 82-52. Despite some tough losses, Tech has won five of its last eight games and still in position to finish toward the top of the conference standings.
Maaliya Owens leads the team in scoring with a 15.3-point average with Reghan Grimes just off a double-digit pace at 9.7. Grimes leads the team in rebounding, pulling own 5.5 boards a game, while Peyton Carter leads the team in assists with 69, Anna Walker has 30 blocks and Reagan Hurst has 36 steals.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
