By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – Grit and tenaciousness were the name of the game for the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles capped a double-digit comeback on the road with an 89-85 triumph over in-state rival UT Martin in overtime at the Elam Center.
A trio of monster efforts on the scoreboard and brilliant offensive play in the second half and extra session led the purple and gold (10-11, 5-5) to a much-needed win in Ohio Valley Conference play, snapping a four-game skid. Three Golden Eagles finished with at least 20 points, helping overcome a tough opening stanza on the offensive side of the ball.
In Tech's first overtime contest of the season, it was tough going for both sides early on, with the Skyhawks (9-12, 5-5) leading with a 38.9 field-goal percentage at the half. The Golden Eagles were converting below a 30 percent rate for much of the opening stanza, watching more than four-and-half minutes leave the clock without a Tech field goal.
The Cookeville crew built some important momentum down the stretch of the first half, closing things out 4-for-5 from the floor after trailing by 10. At the break, the Golden Eagles had just five field goals inside the arc while UT Martin took a 34-28 lead into the locker room.
The intensity in Tech's play clearly picked up in the second half, with the Golden Eagles attacking the rim with a ferocity that led to 14 trips to the charity stripe and another 10 in overtime. Behind the brilliant second-half play of sophomore forward JaJuan Nicholls, Tech mounted its rally with a 9-0 run to square the contest with a little over 12 minutes to play in regulation.
The Scranton, Pa. native led the charge with physical rebounding, especially on the offensive glass, and a relentless attack around the rim. Junior guards Ray Glasgow and Jaylon Johnson were critical as well, making huge shots and clutch free throws to assist with the turnaround.
Up until the final media break at 3:53 on the clock, the Cookeville crew shot a red-hot 63.6 percent from the floor in the second half to take as much as a six-point lead. A short dry spell by the Golden Eagles, one that saw them finish the final three minutes without a field goal, gave the Skyhawks just enough room to tie the contest with 34 seconds to play.
UT Martin's defense forced a shot-clock violation on Tech's final possession, leaving 4.4 seconds for its own final try to end the game. The Skyhawks' Carlos Cortijo raced the length of the court to attempt a game-winning layup at the buzzer, but junior forward Ola Ajiboye was there for a timely rejection to force the overtime period.
In the extra session, things seemed to be rolling UT Martin's way, as the home squad got out to a quick four-point advantage. Never deterred, the Golden Eagles flipped the script with a 10-0 run, sparked by a clutch triple from the corner by sophomore guard Kyle Layton.
Tech finished 9-for-10 from the free-throw line in the overtime period, holding off the Skyhawks' last efforts at getting back to even and picking up the big win. In the second half, the Golden Eagles shot 56 percent from the floor and 12-for-14 at the charity stripe.
For the night, the purple and gold finished 24-for-29 from the line while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from downtown.
Leading the Golden Eagle effort with a career-high 23 points, Nicholls also hauled in seven boards while finishing with 10 field goals on 16 attempts. The youngster corralled four huge offensive rebounds as well.
Ending the evening a perfect 12-for-12 at the charity stripe, Johnson tallied 21 points with a trio of makes from deep and a team-high four assists. Glasgow joined the group of scorers with a season-high 21 points of his own, sinking 7-of-11 tries from the floor and 5-of-6 attempts at the charity stripe. The junior also tied for the team lead with eight rebounds.
Nicholls, Johnson, and Glasgow became the first Tech trio to each score at least 20 points in a contest since Jayvis Harvey (22), Rodney Johnson Jr. (21), and David Early (20) accomplished the feat in the team's overtime victory at Presbyterian on Nov. 22, 2023.
Junior forward Daniel Egbuniwe flirted with a double-double behind 12 points and eight boards, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers. Layton chipped in six huge points, with four in the overtime period alone. Ajiboye ended the evening with three swats and three boards.
The Golden Eagles continue their four-game road stretch through league play with a trip to Morehead, Ky. and a 6:30 p.m. CT rematch against Morehead State.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
