By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A career showing, clutch play, and inspired comeback all fell just shy of lifting the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to victory Thursday evening, as the Golden Eagles dropped a 78-77 heartbreaker to Ohio Valley Conference foe SIUE in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The two sides battled back and forth in a contest featuring four lead changes and seven ties, but that didn't stop the visiting Cougars (16-12, 9-6) from trying to pull away in the second half. SIUE took advantage of a cold spell by the Golden Eagles (9-19, 4-11), advancing a seven-point halftime lead into a 13-point advantage with just 12:32 left to play.
The purple and gold used big-time performances from senior guard Jayvis Harvey and sophomore guard Josiah Davis to mount a rally down the stretch, with the two combining for 31 of the team's 45 second-half points. It took about six-and-a-half minutes, but a Davis dime to Harvey for a corner three fully erased the deficit as the Golden Eagles squared the tilt at 65-65 with just over six minutes on the clock.
SIUE moved back out by as much as four before Davis cut the visitor advantage to just one with a free throw and fast-break layup. With 13 seconds to play, the Cougars drew a foul that sent Ray'Sean Taylor to the line, who sank the first free throw before missing the second attempt.
Tech got just what it wanted, with Davis creating a lane to the bucket with a nifty spin move. The sophomore quickly went for a layup, trying to avoid the contact and potential block, but the ball bounced off the backboard with just a touch too much power and grazed off the rim with seven seconds to go.
Taylor again made his first free-throw attempt before missing the second and the Golden Eagles were off to the races, trying to get down the court in five seconds for a shot at a game-tying three. The Cougars wisely fouled Harvey with 1.7 seconds to play, sending the veteran to the line down by three.
After draining the first attempt, Harvey attempted to intentionally miss the second opportunity, hoping for a tip-in chance at the buzzer. Instead, the ball caught the rim, rolled into the backboard, and dribbled into the net for a second free throw.
The Cougars successfully inbounded the ball to clear the final second off the scoreboard to hold on for the one-point win.
Davis paced all scorers on the night with a career-high 24 points, narrowly missing a double-double with a game-leading nine rebounds. The Kitchener, Ontario native ended the evening shooting 8-for-14 from the floor, 7-of-9 from the free-throw line, and with four assists, a steal, and a block.
Harvey joined his teammate in the 20-point column, contributing 23 while playing all 40 minutes on the night. The Durham, N.C. native sank 4-for-7 tries from distance and was a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe while doling out three dimes and securing two steals, not mention four boards.
Sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe tallied nine points despite battling through an illness while senior guard Diante Wood tacked on nine points, six rebounds, and a team-high five assists.
Leading the Cougars in the contest was Taylor, who finished 5-for-10 from downtown on his way to 21 points. Damarco Minor added 15 points and five dimes while Shamar Wright chipped in 15 points as well. His twin brother, Lamar Wright provided 10 points and eight rebounds to the mix.
The Golden Eagles will host their final game in the Hoop for the 2023-24 campaign Saturday afternoon. Tech will take on Eastern Illinois on Senior Day with a 3:00 p.m. CT scheduled tip.
Photo by Jim Dillon
