By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team closes out its four-game stretch away from the comfort of the Eblen Center Thursday evening, heading back out towards the east coast with a tilt with Winthrop.
Tip is slate for 6:30 p.m. CT, pitting the Golden Eagles in a rematch against the Eagles from last year's affair in Cookeville. Winthrop overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Tech 82-70.
Tennessee Tech (1-5) at Winthrop (3-2)
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019
6:30 p.m. CT
Winthrop Coliseum (6,100) – Rock Hill, S.C.
The Broadcasts
TV: None
Radio: None
Webcast: ESPN+
Thursday marks the second meeting all-time between the two programs, with Winthrop winning the lone match-up last season in Cookeville. In last year's bout, the visiting Eagles defeated the Golden Eagles 82-70 in comeback fashion. Tech led the contest at the break, owning a 40-33 advantage headed intot the locker room. Winthrop exploded for 49 second-half points to earn the win.
Sophomore Tech guard Jr. Clay led the team in scoring, playing 30 minutes off the bench while scoring a game-high 20 points and just missing a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds.
Tech has one connection to the Winthrop program remaining in the form of assistant coach Brian Kloman. Prior to joining Winthrop, Kloman served under former Tech head coach Steve Payne as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles from 2012-14. In that time, Tech went 29-33 and 14-18 in OVC play, including a 17-16 record and four-place finish in the East Division and fifth-place ranking overall.
Last season, Cookeville native and Tech alum Mitchell Hill served as Winthrop's director of operations before leaving the coaching profession. Hill spent four seasons as a Golden Eagle student-athlete from 2010-14, staying in his hometown after becoming Cookeville High School's all-time leading scorer. Hill played in 43 games during his career, making three starts. Following his career, Hill spent two seasons on staff with Tech head coach Steve Payne, serving as the team's graduate assistant manager. In those two seasons, Tech went 31-30, including a 19-12 mark and 11-5 record during the 2015-16 campaign. The Golden Eagles finished tied for second in the OVC East Division and overall.
The Eagles are led by D.J. Burns Jr. in the scoring column, averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting above 60 percent from the field. Josh Ferguson (12.4 ppg) ranks right behind and leads Winthrop with 6.2 rebounds per contest. Chandler Vaudrin also chips in double digits in scoring with 10.3 points per game.
While the Golden Eagle offense struggled to get much going over the weekend at the Spartan Invitational, the defense was lights out, holding all three opponents to under 70 points. In the three-game stretch, Tech allowed UNCG, App State and Montana State to combine for just 185 points or 61.7 points per game.
The last time the Golden Eagles held their opponents to that low of production across a three-game stretch came back during the 2017-18 campaign. Over the team's final two regular-season tilts and its first OVC Tournament contest, Tech held Tennessee State, Jacksonville State and SIUE to a combined 181 points or 60.3 points per game. The purple and gold would win two of the contests, although two were played in the comfort of the Eblen Center.
To reach the last time Tech held its opponents to that low of a total in three straight games away from Cookeville, you have to go back to the 2001-02 campaign, the winningest season in program history. On its way to a 27-7 overall record and 15-1 mark in OVC play, the purple and gold visited Air Force, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. In three victories, Tech's foes mustered just a combined 183 points or 61.0 points per game.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now. Call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or log on to TTUSports.com to order yours today.
Photo by Jonathan Caudle
