COOKEVILLE, Tenn. –- Tennessee Tech shared the ball,
rebounded and shot well. It was a perfect formula for a convincing
83-74 Golden Eagle victory Wednesday night over East Tennessee
State in Eblen Center.
Facing their second-oldest rival and looking to end a six-game
winning streak by the Buccaneers over Tech, the Golden Eagles (4-4)
put together one of their best overall team performances of the
season to the delight of 1,455 fans on a chilly night in
Cookeville. ETSU fell to 3-5 overall.
A 14-2 run to open the second half gave Tech some breathing room
and a 20-point lead, and the Golden Eagles enjoyed a double-digit
margin until the game’s final 25 seconds.
Senior Kevin Murphy, the OVC preseason Player of the Year, led
Tech in scoring with 23 points on 10-for-13 shooting. In the
process he moved ahead of TTU Hall of Famer Kenny Sidwell into
eighth place in career scoring with 1,496 points. He also had six
rebounds, two assists and two steals, a blocked shot and hit at
least one 3-pointer (2-for-4) for his 13th consecutive
game.
Jud Dillard added 14 points and six rebounds, going 6-for-6 at the
free throw line, while sophomore Dennis Ogbe also reached double
figures with 11 points and six rebounds. Point guard Zac Swansey
had a solid floor game with nine points and eight assists. Zach
Bailey added nine points and six rebounds, while Terrell Barnes
provided five points, six rebounds and three assists.
The 83 points was Tech’s highest output of the season
against a Division I foe and Tech owned a 36-27 advantage on the
boards. Likewise, the 16 assists were also a season best, and the
Golden Eagles shot 55.1 percent (27-for-49 from the field and 50
percent (9-for-18) from outside the arc.
Four players scored in double figures for the Buccaneers, led by Sheldon Cooley and Isiah Brown with 12 each. Brown also topped ETSU in rebounds with seven. Tommy Hubbard and Marcus Dubose scored 10 each while Jarvis Jones netted nine and Lukas Poderis scored eight.
The battle was tight from the get-go, with neither team
establishing the upper hand through the first 13 minutes. The
contest was tied four times and the largest margin was a couple of
three-point Tech leads.
Then, with 7:30 to go, Ogbe broke a 17-all tie with a pair of free
throws to start an 8-0 Golden Eagle run that led to a 25-17 lead.
All eight points came at the free throw line, where Tech was
16-for-20 in the first half.
East Tennessee pulled to within three on a three-point play by
Tommy Hubbard with 4:25 to go, but Tech responded by scoring the
next six points, including four by Dillard and a basket by Terrell
Barnes to make it 33-24 with 1:58 left.
Tech was on top by eight at halftime, 37-29.
The decisive stretch in the game came in the first five minutes of
the second half as Tech made its first five shots in a 14-2 run
that opened a 20-point lead at 51-31. From there Tech continued to
build the lead, growing it to as many as 28 points when
Bailey’s 3-pointer with 12:57 to play made it 61-33.
The Tech lead was at 17 points with just 4:23 remaining when
Barnes hit a jumper for a 78-61 lead, and it was still at 17 with
1:35 to go when Murphy knocked down a 3-pointer for an 83-66
lead.
ETSU scored the final eight points of the game for the final
nine-point margin.
Tech stays at home for its next contest, hosting Lipscomb University Saturday at 7 p.m., before taking a week-long break from action for final exams. Tickets are available at the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940.