By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team looks to make it three straight Ohio Valley Conference victories on Thursday when the Golden Eagles head to Nashville for an in-state match-up with Tennessee State at 7:30 p.m. CT at the Gentry Center.
The action can be followed live via radio with Roger Ealey on the call on 106.1 The Eagle while Greg Pogue and Albert Dawson will provide video coverage of the contest on ESPN+.
Saturday's match-up represents the 77th all-time between the two programs, with the Tigers holding a slight, 39-37 advantage in the series. When competing in Nashville, Tennessee State owns a 20-17 edge.
Last season, the two in-state rivals squared off twice, with each side claiming victory on their respective home courts. The Golden Eagles kicked off the season series with a 71-63 win in Cookeville, using a strong advantage at the charity stripe to earn the W.
Tech finished 17-of-23 at the charity stripe in the contest while a quartet of Golden Eagles scored in double figures. Ty Perry paced the effort with 15 points while current senior guard Jayvis Harvey followed with 14 points. Jaylen Sebree added 11 points to the mix with a team-high six rebounds while Brett Thompson chipped in 10 points off the bench.
TSU took the victory in the rematch in Nashville, a contest overshadowed by a scary moment on the hardwood. Current senior guard Diante Wood sustained an injury in the second half of the contest, one that required a trip to the hospital for further evaluation.
With 3:04 left in the game, and the Tigers leading 67-53, both sides agreed to end the game at that point and declare TSU the winner. The night served as a sort of rallying point for the purple and gold, as the Golden Eagles would go on to finish the regular season 3-1 down the stretch and secure a second-place finish and spot in the OVC Tournament semifinals.
In the contest, Sebree led the Cookeville crew with 15 points and six rebounds while Wood turned in a then-season-high 12 points, three blocks, and a 6-for-6 showing at the line before the injury. Thompson added nine points and five boards while Perry contributed eight points and six rebounds.
On Saturday, the Golden Eagles earned their second league win in as many tries, using a dominant defensive showing in the second half in the team's lone home game of the month to secure a 70-59 victory over Southeast Missouri. Holding its opponent to just 59 points for the second game in a row, Tech limited the Redhawks to 22 points over the final 20 minutes.
Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe produced his third double-double of the season in the win, scoring 14 points while pacing the purple and gold with 10 rebounds and five assists. He finished 5-for-9 from the floor while playing 35 minutes.
Senior guard Jayvis Harvey led the scoring effort on the day, finishing a perfect 8-for-8 from the line and 3-of-4 from deep on his way to 19 points. He also turned in a team-high three steals. Fellow senior guard Diante Wood chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, and three dimes, sinking five of his eight tries from the charity stripe.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis concluded his day 6-of-9 from the floor for 13 points. Making his first career start, rookie guard Kyle Layton added three points and a pair of steals to the mix while playing 32 minutes. Fellow freshman Rylee Samons buried both of his tries from beyond the arc to add six points.
Photo by Jim Dillon
