By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A back-and-forth, seesaw battle went in favor of the home team Thursday evening, as the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team fell to in-state rival Tennessee State in Nashville, 91-86.
The contest, which saw both teams produce season-high scoring efforts, featured a whopping 23 lead changes and 10 ties, multiple earth-shattering dunks and plenty of long-range shots. The Tigers looked to take a reasonable, four-point lead into the break, but Golden Eagle guard Jr. Clay drained a 45-footer at the buzzer to bring the purple and gold to within a single point.
TSU broke open the second half with a run, extending its lead to its largest point of the night at nine points with 16:36 to play. Tech battled back, eventually turning in a 10-0 run to take the lead with just under 14 minutes on the clock.
Both sides traded blows over the next 10 minutes, with the Golden Eagles pulling out to its largest lead of the second half at six points heading into the final media break of the game. The Tigers ramped up its defensive pressure, which forced 20 Tech turnovers on the night, finishing the game on a 15-4 run to claim the teams' annual match-up in the Gentry Center.
Clay turned in another strong showing on offense, pouring in 26 points with a career-high five makes from distance. He also corralled four boards, dished out a team-high five assists, blocked a shot and gathered a steal.
The junior guard became the first Golden Eagle to score 20-plus points in three-straight games since Aleksa Jugovic scored 20, 20 and 30 at Ohio, against Hiwassee College and at Lipscomb back in 2016-17. His 26 points on the night tied clay for 21st on Tech's all-time scoring list with Pete Abuls. He passed both Herbie Merritt and Bobby Porter with the showing.
Fellow junior guard Damaria Franklin scored 23 points on the night, his second-highest total on the year, behind 8-for-14 shooting and four triples. He also snagged seven rebounds on the night. Shandon Goldman added 10 points, four boards and four assists while rookie Austin Harvell accounted for nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Tech shot well on the night, hitting 54.4 percent from the floor and draining 12-of-25 tries from downtown to the tune of 48.0 percent for the game.
The Golden Eagles will return to Nashville on Saturday, matching up with the streaking Bruins of Belmont in a 4:00 p.m. CT tilt at the Curb Event Center.
File photo by Dave Winder, Murray State Athletics
