COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- And down the stretch they come…
The Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team is rounding the
final turn and heading down the stretch for the Ohio Valley
Conference finish line with a pretty clear picture of where they
stand.
Winners of three of their last four games, coach Amy Brown’s
team is jockeying for a position in the Ohio Valley Conference
tournament, and holds its destiny in its own hands.
Tech is currently in seventh place in the league standings with a
5-10 record with three league games remaining, two of them against
upper division teams in the conference standings. After hosting
third place Tennessee State Thursday night, Tech will welcome
fourth place Austin Peay to town on Saturday.
Tech wraps up the regular season next Saturday (Feb. 28) with a
game at Jacksonville State.
The Golden Eagles might show up Thursday with a bad taste in their
mouth, remembering a 79-75 overtime loss to Tennessee State in
Nashville less than a month ago.
In that game, TSU’s Kendra Appling stole the show, literally.
With 31 seconds to play in a one-point game in overtime, Appling
stole Tech’s inbounds pass, and iced the game.
But this time, the Golden Eagles will be on their home court, and
come into the game with a head of steam, having won three of their
last four games.
A win over the Lady Tigers would put Tech a big step closer to
clinching the seventh seed.
Tennessee State is also battling for position in the OVC standings.
The Tigers are currently in third place at 10-4 in the league, and
are trying to lock up home-court advantage in the opening round of
the tournament.
The Golden Eagles are 3-1 in February, with wins against Eastern
Kentucky, Morehead State, and UT Martin, and a seven-point loss at
league-leading Murray State. In those games the Golden Eagles are
outscoring their opponents by 5.8 points-per-game, and have 55
assists and just 47 turnovers. By comparison, Tech’s
opponents have 80 turnovers in that span.
Tech seniors Blair Bowens, Meagan Lyons, and Allison Price have led
the recent charge. Bowens is putting up 19 points per game in
February, while Lyons is averaging14 points and five boards. Price
has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.5-to-1 and has six steals,
while adding 5.3 points.
The win by TSU earlier this year marked only the eighth time in 51
games that the Tigers have been on the winning side. Tech owns a
43-8 series edge, and has never lost both regular season games to
TSU.
Tennessee State, however, did get a win the last time these rivals
met on the Eblen Center floor, a 69-56 victory last winter.
This year’s first meeting was a thriller in the Gentry
Center. For the second time in three nights, Tech put in overtime
on the job, and for the second time the Golden Eagles suffered a
heart-breaking Ohio Valley Conference road loss.
TSU claimed a 79-75 victory, two nights after Tech had dropped a
two-point, double-overtime contest at Austin Peay.
The Golden Eagles held a three-point lead in the final minute of
regulation, but Kendra Appling's 3-pointer as the shot clock wound
to zero tied things with 24 seconds to go, forcing the overtime
period.
It was a steal by Appling with 31 seconds to go in the overtime
that might have been the decisive play of the night. Down 75-74,
Tech called timeout to set up a play. Appling swiped the inbounds
pass and the Tigers made just enough free throws to hold on for the
win.
Bowens led Tech with 18 points, including four of Tech's five
points in overtime. Lyons scored 16 points and had seven rebounds,
four assists and four steals. Also in double figures, freshman
Tacarra Hayes scored 16 and grabbed seven boards.
Tiffany Jackson, who reached 1,000 in her career total in the game,
led TSU with 23 points and nine rebounds. Appling added 20 points
and five steals, while Charisse Hicks chipped in with 12 points and
six rebounds. Jasmine Smith, one of for post players to foul out in
the contest (along with TSU's Kierra Goodwin and Tech's Jasmine
White and Vivian Nwosu), had eight points and nine rebounds.
July 1, 2009
Amy Brown steps down as womens basketball coach
April 24, 2009
Women's basketball team helps local organization
February 27, 2009
Tech hoops team wrap up regular season with pair at Jacksonville State
February 19, 2009
Tennessee State women run past Tech 67-57 in Eblen Center battle
February 17, 2009
Tech women jockeying for position down the stretch
February 13, 2009
Road trip takes Tech hoops teams to Martin for Saturday doubleheader
February 13, 2009
Bowens scores 28 to lead Tech to third win in last four games
February 12, 2009
Tech women hang tough but fall to league-leading Lady Racers
February 12, 2009
Tech women's team part of nationwide "Pink Zone" program Thursday night
February 11, 2009
Golden Eagle basketball teams face tough chores in Kentucky
February 8, 2009
Tech wins second straight, tops Morehead State by four
February 5, 2009
Bowens, Lyons lead Tech to "grand" win over EKU
February 3, 2009
Golden Eagle women host EKU in battle for position in OVC standings
January 31, 2009
Golden Eagle women felled at Southeast Missouri, 61-55
January 29, 2009
Hot-shooting Eastern Illinois deals Tech 76-56 OVC road loss
January 23, 2009
Double-overtime OVC battle goes to Lady Govs by two points
January 20, 2009
All-Session Tickets for 2009 OVC Basketball Tournament on sale now
January 20, 2009
Rachel Whittle receives annual Myers-Barker Scholarship
January 17, 2009
League co-leader Murray State claims 69-47 OVC win over Tech
January 15, 2009
Golden Eagles build early lead, hold on for 63-56 win over UTM
January 13, 2009
Tech hosts "Pack The House" Night Saturday against Murray State
January 13, 2009
Golden Eagle women look to continue trend against UTM
January 12, 2009
Tennessee Tech Basketball teams to host Alumni Day Saturday
January 7, 2009
Eastern Kentucky posts 66-50 OVC win over Golden Eagles
January 7, 2009
Scoreless stretch stalls Tech in 64-52 loss at Morehead State
January 5, 2009
Eastern Illinois takes lead in final minutes, wins by four
January 3, 2009
SEMO finishes strong to claim 56-41 OVC road win over Tech
January 1, 2009
Rivalry with Southeast Missouri has grown strong for Tech women
December 30, 2008
Tech's Nwosu named OVC Newcomer of the Week
December 30, 2008
Memphis pulls out last-second victory over Golden Eagles, 63-61
December 28, 2008
Three-pointers lift Middle Tennessee to victory over Golden Eagles
December 21, 2008
Tech falls by seven to Southern Illinois, 74-67
December 18, 2008
Memphis has waited a year to get another shot at Tech
December 18, 2008
Tech sprinkles some basketball action among holiday activities
December 18, 2008
Tech's senior pair trumps Evansville Purple Aces, 75-71
December 17, 2008
Holiday Ticket Office Hours Announced
December 11, 2008
Rivalry resumes as Golden Eagles host Evansville Purple Aces
December 6, 2008
Golden Eagles roll to OVC win over Jacksonville State, 84-60
December 4, 2008
Strong Georgia squad deals Golden Eagles 72-46 road loss
November 30, 2008
Defense gives Tech chance at upset, but Georgia Tech prevails, 68-56
November 30, 2008
Second-half comeback not quite enough as Golden Eagles fall by six
November 28, 2008
Where to listen to Tech's weekend basketball action
November 25, 2008
Late run by Drake lifts Bulldogs over Tech by 11
November 24, 2008
Tech women's basketball locks up six high school seniors
November 23, 2008
White's double-double not enough as Tech women fall at Belmont by six
November 21, 2008
Golden Eagles take on Belmont in Nashville
November 18, 2008
Golden Eagles top Lipscomb women with balanced scoring and defense
November 17, 2008
Golden Eagles take on Lipscomb for first time in program history
November 15, 2008
Golden Eagle women battle, fall to No. 10 Louisville in opener
November 14, 2008
How to get around Eblen Center during 2008-09 basketball season
November 13, 2008
Ranked Cardinal women offer Golden Eagles tough opening test
November 11, 2008
First Tennessee Bank Poster Night at Eblen Center Saturday
November 10, 2008
Jasmine White leads Golden Eagles to win in season debut over Tusculum
October 28, 2008
Tech announces starting times for Golden Eagle basketball games
October 15, 2008
Golden Eagle women ready to make run for an OVC title
October 9, 2008
Tech women selected for seventh place OVC finish
October 4, 2008
Women's basketball helps support Cure Kids Cancer Radiothon
September 30, 2008
Tough 29-game schedule facing Tech women's basketball team in 2008-09