By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team wraps up the opening weekend of Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday afternoon, playing host to in-state rival UT Martin in a 3:00 p.m. CT tilt in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The action can be followed live via radio with Roger Ealey on the call on 106.1 The Eagle while Dylan Vazzano and Frank Harrell will provide video coverage of the contest on ESPN+.
Saturday's match-up represents the 60th all-time between the two programs, with the Golden Eagles holding a decisive, 42-17 advantage in the series. When competing in Cookeville, Tech boasts a 23-7 lead.
The two rivals met three times during the 2022-23 campaign, with the purple and gold claiming victory twice. Tech earned an 84-80 overtime win in Martin on January 7 before the Skyhawks exacted some revenge in Cookeville with a 100-91 dub on February 18.
Squaring off one final time in the OVC Tournament Semifinals on March 3, the Golden Eagles took home the rubber match, advancing to the championship game with a 78-63 decision at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
Tech forward Jaylen Sebree paced the effort with a 28-point, 14-rebound double-double while chipping in four assists. Brett Thompson added 19 points with an 8-for-12 showing at the charity stripe while current senior guard Diante Wood piped in nine points and four boards off the bench, his first game back after suffering a scary injury at Tennessee State in mid-February.
On Thursday, the Golden Eagles fell in a tight, see-saw affair with Little Rock, an 81-75 decision at the Hoop. The contest featured a whopping 19 lead changes and eight ties, but Tech's struggles at the charity stripe (17-for-27) and with turnovers (16) proved too much to overcome.
Despite the loss, sophomore guard Josiah Davis delivered a spectacular showing, dropping a career-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting. He added four rebounds and three assists to the mix as well. Junior guard David Early chipped in 15 points and four boards while senior guard Jayvis Harvey ended the night with 13 points, five rebounds, and an 8-for-11 showing at the line.
Junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. tacked on 12 points and eight rebounds, tying with Wood for the team lead on the glass. Wood produced 11 points, eight boards, and three dimes. Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe contributed four points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in just under 20 minutes of action while battling foul trouble against his former squad.
Photo by Jim Dillon
