By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Strong defense and a spectacular showing at the charity stripe lifted the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles bested Southern Indiana, 73-59, at Screaming Eagles Arena in Evansville, Ind.
Tech (6-11, 1-3) finished the evening an impressive 27-of-32 from the free-throw line, taking advantage of the physical play of the night and keeping its distance from the Screaming Eagles (5-12, 2-2) down the stretch. It was a close battle for much of the first half, with the home squad leading the purple and gold 20-19 with just under five minutes to go.
The Golden Eagles responded with an 11-2 run to end the half, highlighted by a 3-pointer at the buzzer from senior guard Jayvis Harvey. The big shot provided the Cookeville crew a 30-22 advantage heading into the locker room, one they would protect for much of the second half.
Up nine a little over six minutes into the second stanza, USI mounted a comeback bid, using a 13-2 run to take its first lead of the second half at 49-47. The Screaming Eagle edge didn't last long, as junior guard David Early buried back-to-back triples to push Tech back on top for good.
An old-fashioned three-point play by senior guard Diante Wood pushed the Golden Eagle advantage to eight before yet another 3-pointer from Early all but ended Southern Indiana's hopes at salvaging a win. The third make from beyond the arc over a three-minute span gave the visitors a double-digit lead that would last until the final buzzer, thanks in large part to spectacular shooting at the stripe.
The purple and gold sunk 10 of its final 12 free-throw attempts over the closing two minutes, securing the team's first league win of the year.
Early led a relatively balanced Tech offensive attack, producing 18 points with four makes from downtown and a 4-for-5 showing from the line. Harvey chipped in 16 points with team-highs of six assists and four steals, all while finishing the evening 10-for-10 on free-throw tries.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis was efficient with his chances, tallying a 6-for-8 showing from the floor on his way to 15 points. Wood tacked 11 points with three dimes and a 7-for-8 performance at the charity stripe.
Just missing out on double figures, junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. turned in eight points, tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, and swatted away four USI shot attempts. Sophomore guard Daniel Egbuniwe also secured seven boards while scoring five points.
Screaming Eagle guard Jeremiah Hernandez led his squad with 18 points and four steals. Jack Campion added 12 points while AJ Smith contributed 12 points.
The Golden Eagles will return to Cookeville and the comfort of the Hooper Eblen Center for their lone home contest in the month of January. Tech will host Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Jan. 13 in a 3:00 p.m. CT rematch of last season's OVC Tournament Championship game.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
