By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A strong night offensively fell just short for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team Monday evening, as the Golden Eagles (12-15) lost a non-conference match-up at in-state rival East Tennessee State (16-10), 87-79.
The Golden Eagles shot impressively on the night, hitting on 51.8 percent of its attempts from the field and 50 percent of its 3-point attempts. Tech received tons of scoring support from four players, with each scoring in double figures.
But in the end, the Buccaneers just put a little more on the scoreboard, receiving double-digit efforts from four players as well. A career night from Jalen Riley was a big reason, as the guard dropped 31 points on 9-for-19 shooting, including a 10-of-10 night from the charity stripe.
Also scoring well for ETSU were Rashawn Rembert with 17 points, Lester Wilson with 15 points and A.J. Merriweather with 13 points.
The Golden Eagles received plenty of help on offense, including a career night from Torrance Rowe. The junior tallied a career-high 22 points, hitting on 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc. He added eight assists while playing 38 minutes.
Junior Charles Jackson tallied his 16th double-double of the season in the game, coming on late for a night of 16 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and had a strong defensive night with two blocks and a career-high four steals over 37 minutes of action.
Forward Dwan Caldwell shot well from the field, connecting on 50 percent of his field goal attempts for 13 points. He added six rebounds, two assists and a steal as well, playing 30 minutes. Fellow senior Javon McKay also managed double-digit points with 10 on the night.
The Golden Eagles will head back to Cookeville and Ohio Valley Conference action Saturday night for the final home game of the season. Tech will play Belmont on Senior Night, kicking off the action at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Photo by Jim Dillon
