By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team stays put in Cookeville for its second straight home contest of the year, locking horns with West Georgia on Tuesday evening in a 6:00 p.m. CT affair in the Hooper Eblen Center.
The contest will serve as First Horizon Poster Night with Tech basketball posters given away and a team autograph session following the game. 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+.
Tuesday's match-up marks the fourth meeting between Tech and West Georgia all time, with the Golden Eagles holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. The Golden Eagles earned a 67-53 win in the first meeting back in 1968 in Cookeville and followed it up with another home triumph in 1969, a 112-68 romp. Ten years later, in the most recent battle, the Wolves picked up their first victory in the series with a 97-82 decision at the Choo Choo Classic in Chattanooga in 1979.
West Georgia will enter the Hoop as Division I adversaries for the first time, currently in its first season at the top level of the sport. The Wolves are still searching for their first DI win after suffering a 95-60 loss at Mississippi State in the season opener and an 85-62 defeat at Georgia Tech last Wednesday.
The Golden Eagles enter Tuesday's affair fresh off their first win of the 2024-25 campaign, an 89-74 victory over Bryan College on Thursday. Tech struggled to find the bottom of the net over the opening 10 minutes, trailing by as much as 11 points before finally catching fire and pulling away in the second half.
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.
Johnson Jr. was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career, averaging 19.5 points on 68.0 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 steals over the team's first two games of the year. He also finished an impressive 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
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 Conor Dillon, Georgia Athletics
