By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team gets its final tune-up before the official start to the 2024-25 campaign next week, playing host to Oakland City Tuesday evening in an exhibition affair in the Hooper Eblen Center as part of the Athletic Department's annual Purple Palooza. 

The event will feature a 7:30 p.m. CT tip at the Hooper Eblen Center. As part of Purple Palooza, the Tech women's basketball squad will face in-state rival Lipscomb at 5:30 p.m. Doors open to the public Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. as local businesses and organizations, as well as Tennessee Tech teams and student groups, will host trick-or-treat stations around the Eblen Center concourse. Fans unable to attend the event in person can follow the action live on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano and Frank Harrell providing coverage.

Tuesday's match-up marks the first meeting between Tech and Oakland City. The contest also represents the Golden Eagles' second of two exhibitions of the preseason, having squared off with former Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay last Tuesday in a charity affair in the Hoop.

The visiting Governors topped the purple and gold in a barn burner, holding off Tech's rally attempt for a 90-80 victory. Austin Peay used a cold stretch to end the first half by the Golden Eagles to build a 22-point lead heading into the locker room and grew the advantage to 25 late in the second period. 

The Cookeville crew turned it on, cutting the deficit to just 10 points five minutes into the second half. The Govs pushed back out by 20 with about six minutes to play, but the purple and gold threw together one last comeback bid, cutting the hole to just eight points with under 20 seconds to play. 

Making his unofficial Golden Eagle debut, senior guard Mekhi Cameron paced the purple and gold with 17 points, sinking a trio of treys to go with five rebounds. Fellow newcomer Jaylon Johnson finished 3-for-5 from distance, accounting for 12 points and a game-high six assists.

Tech veteran Daniel Egbuniwe added 11 points, five boards, and three steals to the mix, finishing 3-of-6 from the field. New to the TTU crew, junior Ray Glasgow tallied nine points and five rebounds while sophomore returner Kyle Layton tacked on eight points and four assists.

Forward Ola Ajiboye, a junior transfer to the Golden Eagles, supplied eight points, five boards, and three blocks for good measure. Back on the court for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign, local Sparta native Grant Slatten turned in six points in his long-awaited return.

Season tickets for Tennessee Tech men's basketball are now on sale. To order, call 931-372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or visit TTUSports.com.

Photo by Jim Dillon