By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team continues its four-game home stand rolling Thursday evening, hosting Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE in a rematch from January with a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt in the Hooper Eblen Center.
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+. The game will also be televised locally on WCTE.
Thursday's match-up represents the 22nd meeting all-time between the two programs, with the Golden Eagles owning a 13-8 advantage in the series. When competing in Cookeville, the Golden Eagles have earned a dominant, 7-1 edge.
During this year's first match-up in Edwardsville back on Jan. 27, the Cougars delivered a 45-19 first half that all but clinched the contest. Tech fought back and outscored SIUE 38-29 in the second half, but the opening lead was too much to overcome in the 74-57 decision.
Sophomore guard Josiah Davis led the Tech effort, producing 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting, seven rebounds, and four assists. Freshman guard Kyle Layton chipped in 10 points while sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe flirted with a double-double behind eight points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
SIUE's starting five all scored in double figures, led by Ray'Sean Taylor's 18 points and eight rebounds. Twins Lamar Wright and Shamar Wright both recorded double-doubles, contributing 10 points and 10 rebounds and 13 points and 10 boards, respectively.
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 Shamar Wright and 14 points and eight rebounds from 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.
Last Thursday, the Golden Eagles dropped a tough, tight contest in the Hoop at the hands of new league rival Western Illinois. The visiting Leathernecks outlasted the Tech squad in a 62-55 defensive battle that never saw either side lead by double-digits.
Harvey led the Golden Eagles with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding four rebounds, and a pair of assists to the mix. Junior forward Johnson flirted with a double-double, registering 14 points and a team-high seven boards on 6-for-10 efficiency.
Davis chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a team-high three steals. Wood tacked on eight points, four boards, and two dimes.
Photo by Jim Dillon
