By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Shooting efficiency was the primary difference in the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team's first meeting with new Ohio Valley Conference foe Lindenwood, as the Golden Eagles fell to the Lions at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo. Saturday afternoon, 82-64.
The purple and gold struggled much of the day in consistently finding the bottom of the bucket, converting just 31.3 percent of its 67 attempts from the floor and 17.6 percent from distance. Tech (4-11, 0-2) got good looks throughout the ball game, but managed just a 6-for-34 line from beyond the arc while the home team seemingly could not miss.
Tech's ball security kept the team in the game until late in the second half, making just six turnovers while forcing 14 on the other end of the floor by Lindenwood (6-9, 1-1). The key for the Lions on the night was the lights-out shooting from 3-point range, as the home squad sank 11 of its 23 attempts, including a whopping 8-for-14 mark in the first half alone.
On the night, Lindenwood shot 52.7 percent from the floor, with the heavy lifting coming in the first half. The Lions finished with a 60 percent efficiency from the field in the opening stanza, taking a 45-34 lead into the locker room at the break.
For the second straight game, junior guard Jayvis Harvey led the Golden Eagles in scoring, posting 18 points with four rebounds. Fellow junior Diante Wood added 10 points, five boards, and a team-high three steals while making his first start since the season opener.
Graduate forward Jaylen Sebree tacked on 10 points and a team-high six rebounds with two assists and two steals. Rounding out the double-digit scoring for the purple and gold was graduate guard Ty Perry, who finished with 10 points, five boards, two dimes, and a pair of steals.
Lindenwood's Keenon Cole led all scorers with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting and a 4-for-5 night from deep. Cam Burrell posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Golden Eagles will return home for their first OVC tilt in the Hooper Eblen Center this season, playing host to Eastern Illinois Thursday evening in a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt.
Photo by Mike Lehman
