By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – First-half turbulence was too much for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to erase Saturday afternoon, as the depleted Golden Eagles fell at Ohio Valley Conference foe SIUE, 74-57, at First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Ill.
The Cougars (12-9, 5-3) controlled the opening 20 minutes behind efficient shooting and stingy defense, more than doubling Tech's field goal percentage. The home squad finished the first half 58.1 percent from the floor while knocking down 7-of-15 tries from distance.
For the Golden Eagles (7-14, 2-6), it was a tough beginning on offense, with the purple and gold firing at just a 27.6% clip and a 1-for-10 display from downtown. Keeping it close through the first media break, Tech's shooting woes quickly turned into a 17-0 run by the Cougars.
Tech's halftime adjustments on defense were evident and led to much-improved success on the offensive end of the floor, as the Cookeville crew opened the second period on a 7-0 run. The spark allowed Tech to outscore its first-half output with more than nine minutes still to play in the contest.
The purple and gold nearly doubled its shooting percentage from the opening 20 minutes, making 51.9 percent of its second-half attempts from the floor while finishing 6-for-12 from beyond the arc. The Tech defense forced nine turnovers by the Cougars in the period, including five over the final five minutes, allowing the Golden Eagles to outpace SIUE 38-29 in the second half.
With just nine active players, the purple and gold's season-long battle with the injury bug reared its ugly head again in the contest, with senior guard Diante Wood forced to leave with a lower-body ailment in the second half. Despite the adversity, the available Golden Eagles fought strong down the stretch, showing marked improvement from one half to the next.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis paced the Tech squad in the affair, flirting with a double-double behind team-highs of 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and seven rebounds. He also led the Golden Eagles with four assists and snagged two steals.
Rookie guard Kyle Layton turned in 10 points while playing 34 minutes, adding a pair of steals to the mix. Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe chalked up eight points, seven boards, and three steals while junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. contributed eight points and three blocks.
SIUE's Ray'Sean Taylor led the home team with 18 points, eight rebounds, six dimes, and four steals. Twins Shamar Wright and Lamar Wright each tallied double-doubles, with Shamar boasting 13 points and 10 boards and Lamar accounting for 10 points and 10 rebounds. Desmond Polk tallied 14 points while Damarco Minor finished with 12.
The Golden Eagles finally return to Cookeville next week, playing host to Southern Indiana in a Thursday night tilt. Tech will host a 7:30 p.m. CT rematch with the Screaming Eagles in the Hooper Eblen Center on Feb. 1.
Photo by Patrick Clark, Athlete's Eye
