COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tuesday evening will mark the home opener for the Golden Eagle men’s basketball team as they take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers at 7 p.m. in Eblen Center.
The Mountaineers are coming to Cookeville holding a 2-1 record on the season, but riding a narrow 76-74 loss to 2010 NIT participant Mississippi State last Friday. Tech on the other hand will be looking to rebound from a 13-point loss to East Tennessee State on Saturday with what would be their first win of the season.
Appalachian State leads the series over Tech with a record of 4-2. The last time the pair met was during last season’s ESPNU BracketBuster game late in the season, when the Mountaineers delivered an 81-68 loss to the Golden Eagles.
A 2010 CIT participant and defending So-Con champions, the Mountaineers are returning 12 of last season’s 24-13 squad, including three starters in Donald Sims (G, 20.4 ppg/3.2 rpg), Jeremi Booth (G, 7.9 ppg/2.6 rpg) and Isaac Butts (C, 8.5 ppg/8.1 rpg).
Of Tech’s tentative starters, four of the five saw action against App State last season. Junior Kevin Murphy netted 25 points on the Mountaineers and chipped in with five rebounds, while senior Alfred Jones contributed 12 points and three boards. Zach Bailey and Terrell Barnes also saw time last season against Appalachian.
“Our guys got a good taste of ASU last season in the BracketBuster game,” said head coach Mike Sutton. “With a good amount of their team returning, last season is a good indicator of what they’re capable of this year.
“We know that they have size and power in the paint, and are returning their leading scorer from last season in Sims. We need to be prepared for all scenarios on defense, with a dangerous perimeter guy and an athletic center. They’ll challenge every facet of us as a team, so there will be a lot that we can learn about ourselves with Tuesday’s game,” Sutton finished.
Fans who can’t make it to the Hoop Tuesday night can follow the action online via Live Stats at the link below, or can listen to the Golden Eagle Sports Network with Roger Ealey calling the action for broadcasts in the mid-state region. The game can also be heard on Free Teamline on the internet or telephone.
/BoydenNamed_515.jpg?max_width=280&max_height=160&crop=true)
