By Jonathan Caudle, TTU Sports Information
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (5-4) vs. Lipscomb Lady Bisons (2-9)
Game 10 • Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 • 2 p.m. (CT)
Cookeville, Tenn. • Hooper Eblen Center
Video Stream: ESPN+ (Dylan Vazzano & Frank Harrell)
Listen: 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter Updates: @TTUWBB
Series Record: Tech leads, 5-4 (Last: Tech W 67-52, 12/21/18)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tech women's basketball returns to the Hooper Eblen Center for their first contest since Nov. 12 as it hosts the Lipscomb Lady Bisons for a doubleheader on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., followed by Tech men's basketball taking on Western Carolina at 4 p.m.
About the Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles enter Saturday's game against Lipscomb with a 5-4 overall record and are coming off their fifth victory in a 62-58 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts. Tech also earned triumphs over Cumberland (Tenn.) (88-51), ULM (75-68), Samford (72-57), and Detroit Mercy (69-47) this season.
Junior Kesha Brady continues to lead the way for the Golden Eagles with an impressive 16.6 points per game, while junior Mackenzie Coleman also averages double-figures this season for Tech netting 11.6 points per contest. Senior Akia Harris leads the team in assists, dishing out 4.1 assists per game this season. Defensively, Anacia Wilkinson has dominated the post for the Golden Eagles, leading the team on the boards with 7.2 rebounds per game and collecting an impressive 2.2 blocks per game.
About the Lady Bisons
Lipscomb carries a 2-9 record into this weekend's clash. The Lady Bison are currently on a two-game skid, but earned a pair of victories this season over Northern Kentucky (71-69) and most recently over Tennessee State (74-64).
The Lady Bisons have three players averaging double-figure points. Jalyn Holcomb is putting up a team-leading 13.8 points per game, while Dorie Harrison and Casey Collier are averaging 10.2 and 10.1, respectively. Harrison is also the team's leader on the glass, collecting a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game. Holcomb and Collier lead the Lady Bisons in assists with 2.5 per contest and Emily Kmec leads Lipscomb with five blocks over their 11 contests so far this season.
Tech vs. Lipscomb
Saturday's contest will mark the 10th meeting between the Volunteer State opponents. Tech holds the series lead over the Lipscomb Lady Bisons with a 5-4 all-time record. Tech broke a two-game losing streaking last season when the Golden Eagles defeated the Lady Bisons 67-52 on Dec. 21, 2018 in Nashville. Saturday's contest will mark the sixth consecutive season that the two teams have faced each other, beginning with the 2014-15 season.
Last Time Out
The Golden Eagles earned a 62-58 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts to cap off their seven-game non-conference road stretch. Tech held a 31-17 lead after the opening half, before the Catamounts attempted a comeback bid in the third quarter. However, the comeback bid fell short as the Golden Eagles nearly matched Western Carolina point-for-point over the final 10 minutes to seal the four-point victory.
Junior Kesha Brady led all scorers in the contest with 21 points, narrowly missing a double-double with nine rebounds, and adding an assist and a steal. Junior Mackenzie Coleman joined Brady in double-digits with 17 points, seven boards, two steals, and an assist. The freshmen duo of Jada Guinn and Maaliya Owens were also major factors for Tech. Guinn tied for a team-high nine rebounds, while Owens knocked down multiple clutch 3-pointers as she finished with nine points, and added two rebounds, two steals, and an assist in the win.
Hot Starts
The Golden Eagles have opened the scoring in six of their nine contests this season, with the only three games proving differently being against Southern Illinois, Middle Tennessee, and Western Carolina. Tech has also outscored their opponents 159-128 in the first quarter and 308-247 over the first 20 minutes so far this season, leading to an average halftime score of 34-27.
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 156 blocks throughout her career as a Golden Eagle, sitting just 39 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 817 points throughout her career at Tech and is just 183 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 71 contests and 60 away from breaking the school record held by current assistant coach Allison Clark. Brock has also netted 788 career points as a Golden Eagle, putting her 212 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
Tech will take the next week off for the Christmas holiday before hosting Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 29 at the Hooper Eblen Center. Tipoff for the matchup is slated for 2 p.m.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
