By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A tight battle from the tip, the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team couldn't push past visiting Western Illinois down the stretch Thursday evening in a tight, 62-55 decision in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The Leathernecks (16-10, 9-4) looked to set the tone early on the night, jumping out of the gates to a 7-0 lead. Despite a sluggish start offensively, the Golden Eagles (9-18, 4-10) chipped away at the deficit, closing the gap to a single point.
WIU flipped the script and moved back out to a large advantage, taking an eight-point edge with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. Tech closed the gap to six at the break and came out of the locker room ready for a true battle over the final 20 minutes.
The Cookeville crew squared things at 38-38 with 12:28 to play before the Leathernecks answered to recapture the lead. Trailing by nine with a little over six minutes on the clock, Tech took its first lead of the game one minute later thanks to back-to-back treys from senior guard Jayvis Harvey and junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr.
Again, Western Illinois had a response, taking back control on the scoreboard and holding on down the stretch for a seven-point win. Tech stayed in the game with advantages at the charity stripe and in the turnover column, but WIU's 37-26 victory on the glass was enough to provide the opportunities needed for the victory.
Harvey led the Golden Eagles with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding four rebounds, and a pair of assists to the mix. Johnson flirted with a double-double, registering 14 points and a team-high seven boards on 6-for-10 efficiency.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a team-high three steals. Senior guard Diante Wood tacked on eight points, four boards, and two dimes.
Leading the Leathernecks was Jesiah West, producing 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. Ryan Myers joined him in double figures with 11 points.
The Golden Eagles will continue their four-game home stand with a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt against SIUE next Thursday in the Hoop.
Photo by Jim Dillon
