By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team is set to wrap up the Coke Zero Sugar Classic with its third game in five days Thursday evening, taking on UNC Asheville in a 5:00 p.m. CT neutral-site match-up at Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena.
The Bulldogs enter the contest 1-2 on the year, with their lone victory coming against Brevard College in the team's only home game this season. UNCA dropped its season-opener at UAB, 102-77, and fell at Chattanooga on Sunday, 75-45, to open the Coke Zero Sugar Classic.
Despite knocking down just four treys at Chattanooga on Sunday, Asheville ranks 40th in the country in made 3-pointers (31), checking in at 43rd in both 3-pointers per game (10.3) and 3-point field-goal percentage (40.8). Transfer Drew Pember (Tennessee) has knocked down four 3-pointers while totaling a team-high nine blocks and graduate transfer Quay Kimble (Lees-McRae) has gone 7-for-10 from 3-point range.
Tech fell to Chattanooga Tuesday evening in a close, defensive battle, 69-62 in McKenzie Arena. The preseason Southern Conference favorites held Tech to 40 percent shooting for the game, while the Golden Eagles held the Mocs to 42 percent.
Clay paced the Tech effort with a season-high 15 points and dished out four assists as well. He also hit a 3-pointer for the 40th-consecutive game in his career, the second-longest streak in program history. Davidson was right behind with 14 points and four helpers of his own. He also corralled seven rebounds while sinking all four of his attempts from downtown.
Junior big man Amadou Sylla made all five of his attempts from the floor on the night on his way to 10 points, playing scrappy defense all game. Kenny White Jr. produced eight points while Diante Wood chipped in seven with five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Mamoudou Diarra rejected a career-high three shots in the contest while hauling in a team-high eight rebounds.
Clay leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks seventh nationally with 22 total assists and 11th with 7.3 assists per game this season. He also ranks 40th in assist to turnover ratio with a mark of 5.50. Davidson comes in at sixth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 75.0 percent from deep. His 12 makes from downtown rank him 14th in the country.
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 Jim Dillon
