By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team looks for its third straight win while closing out its four-game road stretch through Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday afternoon, visiting Southern Indiana at Screaming Eagles' Arena in Evansville, Ind. for a 3:30 p.m. CT match-up.
The action can be followed live via radio with Roger Ealey on the call on 106.1 The Eagle while video coverage of the contest will be provided on ESPN+.
Saturday's match-up marks the sixth in program history between Tech and Southern Indiana, with the Golden Eagles holding a 4-1 advantage. Tech has claimed victory in each of the two tilts at Screaming Eagles Arena, looking to stay unbeaten in the facility in Evansville.
The purple and gold fended off a pesky USI squad in the Hoop back on Jan. 2, picking up a 68-64 win. Tech led for over 33 minutes on the night, building as much as a 13-point advantage and holding on down the stretch.
Six different Golden Eagles scored at least eight points in the tilt, led by an impressive individual effort from junior forward Daniel Egbuniwe. The Memphis native delivered a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, rejecting a game-high three shots for good measure. He also chipped in two steals and a pair of assists.
Matching the scoring effort of Egbuniwe, senior guard Matthew Sells turned in a season-high 14 points with three assists, sinking 4-of-8 attempts from downtown. Junior forward Ola Ajiboye just missed a double-double of his own, ending the evening 5-for-5 from the floor with 10 points, nine boards, four dimes, and three steals.
Junior guard Jaylon Johnson mixed in nine points and five rebounds to the effort while Sparta native Grant Slatten chipped in nine points on 4-for-5 shooting. Junior guard Ray Glasgow added eight points and three assists off the bench.
Southern Indiana enters Thursday's contest following a thrilling, one-point loss at Morehead State in Johnson Arena on Tuesday evening. The Eagles struggled to ice the game at the charity stripe, providing the Screaming Eagles with three separate chances at winning the contest.
USI missed a layup, lost a turnover, and saw a desperation heave miss its mark all in the final 30 seconds of action, with the final score of 66-65 holding up down the stretch for Morehead. Prior to the contest, the Screaming Eagles had secured wins in three of their previous four games.
Tech squares off with Southern Indiana after picking up a monster road win at Morehead State on Thursday evening, a historic 72-64 triumph. The first win by a Golden Eagle squad in Morehead since Mar. 1, 20214 also provided the purple and gold with back-to-back victories over the rival Eagles since 2007 and 2008.
Morehead State, which had taken 17 of the past 18 games between the two programs on its home floor, was in the midst of a run of 11 straight victories and 27 wins in their last 28 home tilts since Jan. 14, 2023, the third-best mark in the country. The Eagles' home-court advantage had been particularly stingy in league action, with MSU boasting an OVC-best 67-18 mark over the last five seasons, ranking 10th nationally among all DI teams in terms of conference winning percentage.
It was a balanced approach to the scoreboard for Tech, with all eight Golden Eagles seeing the floor recording at least two points and one rebound. Seven of the eight Cookeville crew members scored at least six points.
Junior guard Jordan Johnson led the group, producing 14 points with three makes from downtown and a team-high four assists. Sophomore guard Kyle Layton joined his backcourt buddy in double figures, chipping in 13 points while sinking all six of his free throw tries on the night.
Local Rickman native Matthew Sells rounded out the trio of guards in double digits, securing 12 points and five rebounds while delivering a perfect shooting night. The veteran finished 3-for-3 from the floor, 2-for-2 from distance, and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
Junior forward Daniel Egbuniwe chalked up nine points and four rebounds to go with a team-high three steals while sophomore forward JaJuan Nicholls dropped in eight points and a team-high seven boards. Making his return to the hardwood for the first time in five games, senior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. tallied eight points and four rebounds off the bench. Junior guard Ray Glasgow mixed in six points and six rebounds for the effort as well.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
