By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Spectacular shooting and an elite, individual performance from Rodney Johnson Jr. was plenty for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to claim a 95-75 victory over Milligan Sunday afternoon, the purple and gold's first tilt in the Hooper Eblen Center in more than a month.
The Golden Eagles (6-7) overcame a sluggish start to the day, one that saw the visiting Buffaloes (8-7) roll off an 18-3 run for an 11-point lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half. Tech was just 1-for-7 from the floor during that stretch, with Milligan boasting a 14-6 advantage on the glass.
The Cookeville crew flipped the script following the second media break of the contest, cutting into the deficit and controlling the ball game the rest of the way. The Golden Eagles closed out the second half on a 30-11 run, knocking down eight triples for a 43-35 lead heading into the locker room.
Johnson Jr. paced the comeback, securing 17 of his 20 first-half points following the 12-minute timeout. The senior forward continued his career performance into the second stanza, locking down 13 more points over the opening 12 minutes before subbing out for good.
The Bryan, Texas native completed the day with a career-high 33 points, the most by a Golden Eagle since Torrance Rowe dropped 35 against Jackson State on Nov. 24, 2015. Johnson Jr. did it with one of the most efficient performances in school history, sinking 14-of-16 attempts from the floor and a 3-for-4 showing from downtown. He added five boards and two dimes for good measure, all in just 21 minutes of action.
Tech rolled in the second half as a unit, rocking the scoreboard for 52 points with 13 assists. All 12 Golden Eagles that saw the floor in the contest scored and hauled in at least one rebound in the second period.
Joining Johnson Jr. in double figures on the day, sophomore guard Kyle Layton scored 11 points with five assists. Junior guard Ray Glasgow chipped in 10 points off the bench on 4-for-7 efficiency, along with three dimes.
Sophomore forward JaJuan Nicholls led the purple and gold with eight rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench, adding seven points to the mix. Coming back from injury, junior forward Daniel Egbuniwe mixed in seven points and six boards in 20 minutes of action.
The Golden Eagles get back to Ohio Valley Conference action on Thursday, playing host to Southern Indiana in a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt in the Eblen Center.
Photo by Jim Dillon
