By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – It was another gut-wrenching outcome for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team Saturday evening, as Jr. Clay's last-second attempt from 3-point range banged off the rim and UT Martin held on to defeat the Golden Eagles, 66-64, in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
The first half was all offense for both sides, with the purple and gold taking a 41-40 advantage into the break after shooting 52 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from deep. Defense took over for both teams in the second half, with the Skyhawks outscoring the Golden Eagles 26-23. Tech shot just 34.6 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from downtown over the final 20 minutes.
"I thought we competed really well in the game," Tech head coach John Pelphrey said. "I thought we were into it. Once again, I think we made some progress there with our defense. We had some beautiful offense for a lot of the game. The ball was going inside and outside, it was moving around the perimeter. We just have to find a way to be consistent in those areas."
Tech managed 12 assists in the first half, resulting in a lot of good chances the Golden Eagles were able to convert, none more so than freshman Austin Harvell. The rookie out of Athens, Ala. connected on a career-high four triples in the opening stanza, leading all scorers at the break with 12 points.
The UT Martin defense clamped down in the second half, with many of those same opportunities either disappearing. The Tech offense did manage to still get some good looks, but saw some struggles to convert.
"I thought UT Martin competed and battled as well," Pelphrey explained. "They made some tough shots. Winning in college basketball is hard and with a young basketball team, you have to really develop an awareness and understanding of how to go do it and then have the discipline to take that into each and every play.
"At one point in time in the second half – I think it was around the six-minute mark, maybe the five-minute mark – we had three or four defensive stop in a row and they got four offensive rebounds on it and ended up hitting a three. If you want to win the game, there's an opportunity right there."
With the Golden Eagles trailing by two and just over five seconds left in the contest, Amadou Sylla corralled his seventh rebound of the contest and found Clay in transition. Clay raced down the court and got a contested shot off from the right wing before the buzzer, but the ball found iron and the Skyhawks held on for the win.
"We're growing and getting better," Pelphrey expressed. "We're competing. Everybody knows how many guys we have out. Mars [Damaria Franklin] was gone with his family [attending a funeral], which is where he should be. But right now, we've handled COVID pretty well. Hopefully, we'll continue to do that. There's no more excuses. We need to keep improving and I think that the challenge for our guys now is to take all of this information and play better for longer. We're capable.
"It's not easy, but I really thought we made progress and had another opportunity for us to win. It was certainly a big difference from a year ago when we came in here, but like everybody else, we have to continue to get better. The good news for us is we can."
Sophomore point guard Keishawn Davidson led the Tech scoring effort on the night, finishing with 15 points and a team-high six assists with zero turnovers. Harvell was right behind, enjoying one of the best all-around games of his young career. The forward tallied a career-high 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds while gathering two steals and rejecting a pair of shots.
Clay hit a 3-pointer for the 30th-consecutive game – the third-longest streak in program history – on his way to 14 points and five assists. He also recorded his 64th career double-figure scoring performance, tying for 14th in team history.
The Golden Eagles will return to Cookeville for their longest home stretch of the season, featuring three games in five days in the Hooper Eblen Center. Tech will square off with SIUE for the first time of the year on Thursday in an 8:00 p.m. CT tilt to kick off the homestand.
"It's always good to be able to sleep in your own bed and not have to eat restaurant food and those types of things," Pelphrey added. "We love playing at home in front of our fans and where we practice every day. So it's exciting to get back home for a few games."
Photo by Mike Lehman
