By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team makes just its second appearance in front of the Golden Eagle faithful at the Hooper Eblen Center since the turn of the new year Thursday evening, playing host to Southern Indiana in a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt.
The action can be followed live via radio with Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell on the call on 106.1 The Eagle while Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith will provide video coverage of the contest on ESPN+.
Thursday's match-up represents just the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs, with the Golden Eagles boasting an undefeated, 3-0 mark in the series. Tech claimed this year's earlier affair in Evansville, topping the Screaming Eagles 73-59 on Jan. 6.
Four members of the purple and gold scored in double figures in the contest, while the squad shot an incredible 27-of-32 from the charity stripe. Tech sunk 10 of its final 12 free-throw attempts over the closing two minutes.
David Early led the Golden Eagle effort with 18 points behind a 4-for-8 showing from distance. Jayvis Harvey tallied 16 points with five rebounds, six assists, and four steals while finishing a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.
Josiah Davis tacked on 15 points while Diante Wood contributed 11 points off the bench with a 7-of-8 performance at the charity stripe. Rodney Johnson Jr. delivered eight points, seven boards, and four blocks.
The new OVC foes met for the first time last season on Feb. 9, with Tech taking home an 84-69 victory in Cookeville. Former Golden Eagles Brett Thompson (21), Jaylen Sebree (20), and Ty Perry (10) combined for 51 of Tech's points in the contest, with Wood chipping in nine.
In the rematch in Evansville two weeks later, Tech triumphed again, edging the purple and gold 82-79 behind a balanced attack. Harvey led the way with 19 points and a 5-for-7 showing from distance with six boards. Sebree tallied 17 points and 10 boards while Perry added 16 points and Thompson tacked on 14 with eight rebounds.
On Saturday, Tech fell at SIUE after a sluggish offensive start, heading into the locker room trailing 45-19. The Golden Eagles outpaced the Cougars in the second half, 38-29, but the run was too late in the 74-57 loss.
With just nine active players on the night, the purple and gold's season-long battle with the injury bug reared its ugly head again in the contest, with 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.
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 Johnson contributed eight points and three blocks.
Photo by Patrick Clark, Athlete's Eye
