By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team kicks off the new year with its first home Ohio Valley Conference contest of the season Thursday evening, a 7:30 p.m. CT match-up with Southern Indiana in the Hooper Eblen Center.
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+.
Thursday's match-up marks the fifth in program history between Tech and Southern Indiana, with the Golden Eagles holding a 3-1 advantage. The purple and gold claimed each of the first three meetings between the two sides, including the first of two tilts last season.
On Jan. 6, Tech earned its third straight victory over the Screaming Eagles, a 73-59 decision in Evansville, Ind. USI flipped the script in Cookeville on Feb. 1, earning its first win in the series in a 74-71 affair in the Hoop.
Southern Indiana enters Thursday's contest after dropping a tight OVC affair in Evansville on Tuesday. The Screaming Eagles rallied from an 11-point deficit with four minutes to play, cutting the deficit to one. Morehead State hung on for the 70-68 victory, as USI's game-winner missed its mark with five seconds to play.
The Golden Eagles head into the tilt after picking up a 20-point win in their first home contest in over a month, a 95-75 triumph over Milligan on Sunday. The purple and gold overcame a sluggish start on offense resulting in an 11-point deficit in the first half. Tech found its footing on offense the rest of the way, firing over 55 percent for the game.
Rodney 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.
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.
Photo by Jim Dillon
