Guard duo lighting up OVC stat books so far this season

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Two Tennessee Tech players have been named all-conference selections for the month of November by CollegeHoopsNet.com, the web site announced Friday.

Senior guard Kevin Murphy and junior guard Jud Dillard were among five Ohio Valley Conference players recognized. Tennessee Tech was the only OVC school to have more than one honoree. Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan, Tennessee State’s Robert Covington and UT Martin’s Mike Liabo joined Murphy and Dillard on the list.

A go-to scorer throughout his career, Murphy has upped the ante in his senior season. He is the second-leading scorer in the OVC through six games, averaging 19.5 points per game. The OVC Preseason Player of the Year has reached double-figures in every game and has scored 25-plus points on two occasions – he went off for a career-high-tying 31 against Wilberforce and dropped 28 against Appalachian State. Murphy ranks 45^th in scoring in NCAA Division I.

On the heels of an offseason in which he focused intently on adding strength, Jud Dillard is seeing his hard work pay off in the form of some impressive numbers early this season. Dillard is the OVC’s leading rebounder, pulling down 8.7 boards per contest, a nearly three-rebound improvement over his 2010-11 average. Dillard has posted two double-figure rebound performances, grabbing 15 against High Point and 11 against Appalachian State.

Tech will face Duquesne at 6 p.m. CST Saturday at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.