COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Hoop season has officially commenced for the Tennessee Tech men’s basketball team as they prepare for their opening day exhibition game against Carson Newman College on Thursday in the Hooper Eblen Center at Tennessee Tech.

The 7:30 p.m. contest is the second of a double-header event shared with the women’s team.

Tech will be hosting the “Gathering of the Eagles” event that night, where the first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive free admission to the game as well as free popcorn and Pepsi. First Tennessee Bank will also host their first poster night; they’ll be greeting the first fans of the night with posters which players will be signing at the end of the night.

Thursday’s game marks only the fourth time in Tech history that the Golden Eagles have taken on the Eagles of Carson-Newman, entering the match-up with a narrow 2-1 lead on the all-time series.

However, the two opponents haven’t faced off in over two decades, making Thursday night’s event a first for the team and coaching staff at Tennessee Tech.

Last season, the Golden Eagles faced Bluefield College in their exhibition game, handing the Ramblin' Rams a 85-78 loss. 2010 returnees Kevin Murphy and Alfred Jones put up respectable numbers as Murphy led the team with 20 points, and 10 second chance boards in 30 minutes of floor time. Murphy also visited the line for 12 freebies, draining 11 of them.

Jones chipped in with 11 points and six total rebounds on the evening.

The women’s game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday evening. Fans who are unable to make it to the Hoop for Thursday night's event can follow the Live Stats here.