By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A big second half was enough to make up for a sluggish first, as the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team took home its 44th victory in 48 home openers at the Hooper Eblen Center with an 89-74 win over a pesky Bryan College squad Thursday evening.
On a night when the Golden Eagles (1-1) launched up 38 treys and sunk a solid 13 of them, it was an icy start to the contest on their home floor. The purple and gold missed its first six tries from distance and was, at one point, 1-for-9 from deep to open the game.
The visiting Lions took advantage of the Cookeville crew's cold stretch of scoring, pushing an early lead out to 11 points behind some incredibly hot shooting of their own. Never deterred, the Golden Eagles mounted a comeback, starting their push at the second media break.
By halftime, the Tech squad had a four-point lead, with the offense beginning to click with better ball movement and a hot shooting touch. Bryan College hung around in the second half, cutting a 13-point Golden Eagle lead to just four with a little under seven minutes to play.
Tech responded in kind, going to its pair of Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Players to Watch to get the job done. Junior Daniel Egbuniwe and senior Rodney Johnson Jr. each exploded for new career-high marks in the scoring column, lifting the purple and gold to a 15-point win.
The two Golden Eagle forwards combined for 49 points, led by Johnson Jr.'s impressive 27 on 12-for-17 shooting. Finishing 3-for-4 from distance, the veteran also hauled in three rebounds. Egbuniwe dropped a career-best 22 points while sinking 4-of-7 tries from beyond the arc, hauling in five boards, and dishing out five assists.
Newcomer Jaylon Johnson flirted with a double-double on the night, compiling 16 points with nine dimes, six rebounds, and two steals. Fellow newbie Ray Glasgow chipped in 10 points off the bench, mixing in three dimes, and four boards for good measure.
As a unit, the Tech crew sunk 14 of its 17 free-throw attempts and racked up 24 assists to just six turnovers. The Golden Eagles also rejected six shots in the contest, led by an impressive four from junior forward Ola Ajiboye.
The Golden Eagles are set to return to action Tuesday evening for a 6:00 p.m. CT tilt against West Georgia in the Eblen Center.
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
