By Jonathan Caudle, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (4-4) at Western Carolina Catamounts (2-9)
Game 9 • Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019 • 6 p.m. (CT)
Cullowhee, N.C. • Ramsey Center
Video Stream: SoCon Digital Network
Listen: 106.1 The Eagle (Dylan Vazzano)
Live Stats: Live Stats
Twitter Updates: @TTUWBB
Series Record: Tech leads, 5-2 (Last: Tech W 77-58,11/19/18)
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Tennessee Tech women's basketball will close out their seven-game home stretch on Tuesday as the Golden Eagles head to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on the Western Carolina Catamounts at the Ramsey Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT).
About the Golden Eagles
Tech currently holds and even 4-4 record so far this season, earning wins over Cumberland (Tenn.) (88-51), ULM (75-68), Samford (72-57), and Detroit Mercy (69-47). The Golden Eagles are most recently coming off a 75-61 defeat against SEC-foe Vanderbilt.
Junior Kesha Brady leads the Golden Eagles offensively, averaging 16 points per game, shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from 3-point range, and 75 percent from the free throw line. Brady has also pulled down 5.4 rebounds per game and leads the team in steals with seven on the season. Junior Mackenzie Coleman is the second Golden Eagles to average double-digits with 10.9 points per game this season, in addition to 5.3 boards per game and 10 blocks through Tech's eight contests. Senior Anacia Wilkinson has led the Golden Eagles defensively with 18 blocked shots and averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, while fellow senior Akia Harris has collected a team-leading 34 assists.
About the Catamounts
Western Carolina enters Tuesday's contest with a 2-9 overall record and is coming off a 68-61 loss against Cleveland State. The Catamounts opened the season with a victory over NCAA Division II Virginia Wise (64-55), before falling in eight-straight contests to North Carolina (92-55), Elon (68-24), USC Upstate (70-62), Campbell (61-40), UNC Asheville (64-47), Davidson (101-51), Coastal Carolina (66-43), and Gardner-Webb (88-62). Western Carolina got back into the win column in a 69-64 victory over Charleston Southern, before receiving their most recent defeat in the loss to Cleveland State.
Jewel Smalls has led the Catamounts this season with team-leading 15.6 points per contest, also leading Western Carolina on the boards with 12.1 rebounds per game. Judith Martin Ruiz and Andrea Martin Ruiz have collected a team-high 41 assists and 13 steals, while Tembre Moates leads the team in blocks with seven through 11 games.
Tech vs. Western Carolina
Tuesday's meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Catamounts will be the eighth all-time. Tech holds a 5-2 record against Western Carolina. In last season's tilt, the Golden Eagles secured a dominant 77-58 victory on November 19 in Cookeville. Tech is currently on a two-game winning streak over the Catamounts, dating back to December 8, 2012, in which the Golden Eagles earned a 61-56 triumph.
Hot Starts
The Golden Eagles have opened the scoring in six of their eight contests this season, with the only two games proving differently being against Southern Illinois and Middle Tennessee. Tech has also outscored their opponents 145-118 in the first quarter and 277-230 over the first 20 minutes so far this season, leading to an average halftime score of 35-29.
Century Club
Currently in her fourth season as Tennessee Tech's head coach, Tech's eighth contest of the 2019-20 season, which saw the Golden Eagles take on Vanderbilt, marked Head Coach Kim Rosamond's 100th career game (43-57), all of which have been with the Golden Eagles. The milestone was a special one for Rosamond because it came against her previous school, in which she served for nine years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before being named Tennessee Tech's head coach prior to the 2016-17 season.
Approaching Milestones
Anacia Wilkinson set the school record last season for blocked shots in a season with a dominant 92 blocked shots. She has collected 154 blocks throughout her career as a Golden Eagle, sitting just 41 blocks away from breaking the school record of 194 career blocks, set by Melinda Clayton during her four-year Golden Eagle career from 1986-90. On a per-game basis, Wilkinson's 1.9 blocks per contest average currently leads the Tech record books.
Akia Harris has collected 815 points throughout her career at Tech and is just 185 points shy of becoming the 31st player in Tech history to surpass the 1,000-points mark during their career as a Golden Eagle.
Jordan Brock has been a dominant long-range threat for the Golden Eagles ever since arriving in Cookeville. Brock currently sits 5th all-time at Tech in made 3-pointers with 166 through 70 contests and 60 away from breaking the school record held by current assistant coach Allison Clark. Brock has also netted 787 career points as a Golden Eagle, putting her 213 points away from breaking the 1,000-point mark and becoming the 31st Golden Eagle in school history to achieve the feat.
A Look Ahead
The Golden Eagles return home on Saturday as Tech hosts the Lipscomb Bisons for their first home contest in over a month. Tipoff against the Lady Bisons is slated for 2 p.m.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
