By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team finishes off the month of January, one featuring just a single appearance in Cookeville, with another road contest on Saturday, squaring off with SIUE in a 3:30 p.m. CT tilt at First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Ill.
The action can be followed live via radio with Roger Ealey on the call on 106.1 The Eagle while video coverage of the contest will be provided on ESPN+ with Joe Pott and Kristof Kendrick calling the action.
Saturday's match-up represents the 21st meeting all-time between the two programs, with the Golden Eagles owning a 13-7 advantage in the series. When competing in Edwardsville, the Cougars have earned a slight, 6-4 edge.
Last season, the two sides traded double-digit victories on their respective home floors, starting with an SIUE win in Edwardsville. The Cougars topped Tech, 64-51, in a defensive struggle that saw both sides shoot under 40 percent for the night.
Current senior guard Jayvis Harvey led the Golden Eagles with 14 points and five rebounds while former Tech starters Ty Perry and Jaylen Sebree added 12 points and 11 points, respectively. SIUE was led by 18 points from current guard Shamar Wright and 14 points and eight rebounds from current guard Ray'Sean Taylor.
In the rematch in Cookeville, the purple and gold fired at a 50 percent clip from the floor and sunk 26-of-31 attempts from the charity stripe on its way to an 80-68 triumph in the Hooper Eblen Center. Sebree paced the Golden Eagles with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds while former Tech guard Brett Thompson dropped 18 off the bench.
Harvey and Perry each contributed 10 points while current senior guard Diante Wood produced eight points, five rebounds, and five dimes off the bench. SIUE's Taylor led all scorers with a 30-point effort and racked up five steals in the losing effort.
On Thursday, Tech dropped a 68-59 decision at Eastern Illinois, making 18 turnovers in a contest in which it shot 49 percent from the floor. EIU closed out the contest on a 14-6 run, limiting the Golden Eagles to 3-for-10 shooting in that same span.
Junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. paced the Tech squad with his first double-double at the Division I level, posting 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting while hauling in 10 rebounds, both team-highs in the tilt. Senior guard Diante Wood contributed 12 points, six boards, and a team-high six assists.
Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe tacked on 10 points while shooting 5-for-8 and corralled seven rebounds. Senior guard Jayvis Harvey rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts for Tech, tacking on 11 points while blocking a pair of shots.
Photo by Dayton Simpson, EIU Athletics
