By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sluggish offense and turnovers proved too costly for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to overcome in Nashville Friday afternoon, as Vanderbilt downed the Golden Eagles, 87-56, in Memorial Gymnasium.
The purple and gold (4-4) struggled to create opportunities in the paint throughout the day, a testament to a strong defensive performance by the Commodores (7-1). Tech made just 12 field goals from inside the 3-point arc, using five makes from distance in the opening half to stay in the fight.
Vanderbilt pulled away in the second half, answering Tech's two quick buckets to open the stanza with a 17-2 run. The Dores moved out by 20 with the run, but the Golden Eagles mounted one last rally.
Junior big man David Craig checked into the ball game and sparked the cold offense with a couple of buckets and an assist out to Ray Glasgow for a timely triple, cutting the Vandy lead by 25 percent.
The Commodores hit their stride down the stretch, driving their 3-point percentage up to 35.5 for the game with an 11-for-31 showing. Vanderbilt also forced Tech into 15 turnovers in the contest and earned a 48-35 advantage on the glass.
Senior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. led the Golden Eagles with 11 points on the day, finishing 5-for-9 from the floor in 23 minutes of action. Sophomore guard Kyle Layton contributed nine points with a pair of treys and a 3-for-3 showing at the charity stripe.
Junior guard Jaylon Johnson added nine points and a team-high three steals to the mix, tacking on five rebounds. Junior forward Daniel Egbuniwe chipped in seven points, five boards, two dimes, three steals, and three blocks in just 21 minutes of play.
Glasgow provided seven points and three rebounds off the bench while Craig finished the day with a team-high six rebounds and six points. Junior guard Grant Slatten tallied five points off the bench as well.
The Golden Eagles return to action as part of a month-long stint away from the Eblen Center, visiting Florence, Ala. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 for a 6:00 p.m. CT tilt with North Alabama.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
