By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will continue its Ohio Valley Conference slate Wednesday afternoon, making a return to trip to Jacksonville, Ala. for a rematch with Jacksonville State.
The Golden Eagles fell to the Gamecocks in a close battle Sunday evening, 73-67, to open league play.
Tennessee Tech (0-6, 0-1) at Jacksonville State (4-2, 1-0)
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020
7:30 p.m. CT
Pete Mathews Coliseum – Jacksonville, Ala.
The Broadcasts
TV: None
Radio: None
Webcast: ESPN+ (Chase Robinson & Mickey Shadrix)
Game Notes
Tennessee Tech
Jacksonville State
SERIES/OPPONENT NOTES
Sunday marks the 42nd meeting all-time between Tech and Jacksonville State, with the Golden Eagles owning a 22-19 lead in the series.
In Jacksonville, the Gamecocks hold a 10-8 advantage, including wins in each of the last three match-ups in Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Tech's last victory in Jacksonville, a 79-78 decision, came in overtime on Feb. 18, 2017. Kajon Mack made back-to-back steals and layups in the final 30 seconds of regulation to force the extra period. Aleksa Jugovic knocked down a pair of free throws in the final seconds to clinch the win.
Jacksonville State has won seven of the past eight tilts between the two teams, including Sunday's contest in Cookeville.
Trailing by as much as 15 points in the second half, Tech closed to the gap to one with under two minutes to play. The Gamecocks hit their free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 73-67 victory.
Jr. Clay turned in his first career double-double in the contest, posting 20 points and a game-high 10 assists.
After missing the first five games of the season due to COVID protocols, Damaria Franklin turned in a team-high 21 points. His performance marked the most points by a Golden Eagle in his team debut since Ty Allen scored 25 at USF on Nov. 9, 2013.
This represents the first time since the 2014-15 campaign that Tech will face the same opponent in back-to-back games. The Golden Eagles played a home-and-home series with Southeastern Louisiana, winning at home on Nov. 24, 81-62, and falling on the road on Nov. 26, 86-68.
The last time Tech played the same OVC foe in back-to-back games was during the 2007-08 season, closing the regular schedule with a 71-66 win over Murray State on Feb. 28. The Racers then defeated the Golden Eagles on Mar. 5 in the OVC Tournament, 77-74.
The last time the purple and gold played an OVC rival in back-to-back regular-season contests came all the way back during the 1958-59 campaign. Tech lost at ETSU on Jan. 24, 80-78. The Golden Eagles avenged the loss in Cookeville, six days later, defeating the Bucs, 92-81, on Jan. 30.
QUICK HITTERS
In Tech's close loss to Jacksonville State, Jr. Clay turned in his first career double-double and second-straight 20-point outing. He dished out a career-high 10 assists to go along with his 20 points.
Damaria Franklin scored a team-high 21 points, producing the most points by a Tech player in his debut with the team since Ty Allen posted 25 at USF on Nov. 9, 2013. Franklin missed the first five games of the season due to COVID protocols.
Through six games, Tech already has more double-doubles (three) as it did all of last season (two).
At Indiana, Kenny White Jr. (13) and Austin Harvell (10) teamed up to become the first pair of Tech freshmen to score in double figures in a season opener since Nov. 29, 1975 when Jimmy Howell (18) and John C. Adams (15) accomplished the feat against Baptist College (now Baptist Health Sciences University).
They also became the first pair of Golden Eagle freshmen to score in double digits against a Power 5 Conference opponent since Marc Glanton (11) and Kenneth Smith (13) managed it at Georgia (12/29/94).
Tech was predicted to finish 9th overall in the 2020-21 OVC race in voting by the league's head coaches and SIDs. The Golden Eagles were selected to finish 8th in the OVC media poll.
Last season, Jr. Clay and Keishawn Davidson became the first pair of Tech teammates to each total at least 100 assists in the same season since 2001-02. That year, Cameron Crisp dished out 122 dimes while DeAntoine Beasley doled out 104 assists.
With an 83-70 win over Martin Methodist on November 9, 2019, Tech head coach John Pelphrey earned his first victory as the leader of the Golden Eagle program.
Pelphrey, who was named the 13th head coach in Golden Eagle history in April, also earned career win No. 150 on the night, the same day the Tech football team earned its 150th victory in Tucker Stadium on the day they celebrated the 150th anniversary of college football.
Both Davidson and Sylla were honored by the OVC on Nov. 11, picking up two of the league's first three weekly honors of the 2019-20 campaign. Davidson was named OVC Freshman of the Week while Sylla was recognized as the OVC Newcomer of the Week.
It marked the first time since 2015-16 that Tech claimed two of the OVC's three weekly accolades. The last time it occurred was Feb. 1, 2016 when Torrance Rowe won OVC Player of the Week and both Ryan Martin and Hakeem Rogers shared OVC Newcomer of the Week honors.
TOP IN THEIR STATES
Three of Tech's players for the 2020-21 season boast a particularly impressive feat as part of their respective resumes, all finishing as finalists for the Mr. Basketball Award for their state during their high school careers.
Junior guard Jr. Clay was a two-time finalist at the TSSAA Division II Class AA level while at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, earning the honor in 2017 and again in 2018.
Transfer sophomore guard CJ Gettelfinger was one of three finalists at the TSSAA Division II Class A level in 2018 while competing for Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville.
Freshman forward Kenny White Jr. was named a finalist for Kentucky's Mr. Basketball Award in 2020 while starring for Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in Madisonville, Ky.
Head coach John Pelphrey, a University of Kentucky Hall of Famer, was a Mr. Basketball Award winner during his high school days, claiming the honor for Paintsville High School in 1987.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The 2020-21 Tech roster features 15 players (13 scholarship student-athletes) representing six states and three countries.
Six Golden Eagle players hail from the state Tennessee, while Arkansas and Illinois each boast two Tech players. Alabama, California and Kentucky are represented by one Tech player each.
Two international players round out the roster, including one Golden Eagle from Canada and another from Mali.
Tech has one graduate student, one senior, five juniors, four sophomores and four true freshmen.
Nine Golden Eagles stand 6-foot-5 or taller while the other six measure in at 6-foot-4 or shorter.
Nine members are new to the Tech squad for 2020-21, including Damaria Franklin, CJ Gettelfinger, Shandon Goldman, Austin Harvell, Marcus Hopkins, Taelon Peter, Jalen Stayton, Jamaal Thompson and Kenny White Jr.
Photo by NKU Athletics
