GAME NOTES -- Game 20 -- at Belmont (PDF)
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Since Belmont joined the Ohio Valley Conference, there aren't many teams who have been able to beat them, posting a 120-27 record in league play, posting an incredible .816 winning percentage.
In the last five years alone, the Bruins have lost only seven OVC contests – including four on the road with three losses at UT Martin. Before this season, Belmont had only lost once at the Curb Event Center during the span – a 77-72 loss to Tennessee Tech on January 5, 2019.
And that was it – until this season. After Belmont had its program shut down from the COVID pandemic, the Bruins went from December 20 to January 19 without playing. That first game back ended up a 72-66 loss to Murray State at the Curb Event Center. Southeast Missouri also found paydirt in Nashville on Feb. 9, topping the Bruins 70-66.
Tennessee Tech will try to add a second win in Nashville over the Bruins on Saturday as the Golden Eagles take on Belmont at 1 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the radio call, while Rich Tiner and Ellie Harmeyer will handle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required).
As the two teams square off for a battle for second place in the conference standings with the first of back-to-back games – the Golden Eagles also host the Bruins on Tuesday night – it's a close parallel.
Tech has won nine of its last 11 games heading into Saturday's contest and has a four-game winning streak under their belts. Golden Eagle head coach Kim Rosamond needs just one OVC win out of the four remaining regular-season games to match her best total of 12 from the 2018-19 season.
In the Golden Eagles' last four games, Tech has hit double-digit 3-pointers, draining 10 against UT Martin, 14 vs. SIUE, 12 over Eastern Illinois and 13 against Tennessee State on Thursday.
Belmont, however, is also on its own hot streak, winning seven of its last eight games and nine of its last 11 – just like the Golden Eagles. In fact, that isn't the only similarity as Tech's and Belmont's numbers on the season are fairly similar.
The Golden Eagles (13-6, 11-5 in OVC play) are averaging 68.4 points a game, while allowing 60.4 to opponents. Tech is shooting .429 from the floor, .330 from long-range and .753 at the free-throw line. Belmont (13-5 overall, 10-3 in league play) is averaging 68.8 points per outing, allowing 58.2 to opponents, while shooting .427 from the floor, .347 from 3-point range and .672 from the stripe.
Tech is averaging 35.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 15.3 assists and 7.3 steals a game. Belmont is averaging 35.2 boards, 2.6 blocks, 15.3 assists and 11.7 steals.
The Bruins have three players averaging double-digit scoring as Destinee Wells leads with a 15.6-point average, while Conley Chinn is averaging 12.0 points and Tuti Jones is putting up 10.8. Allison Luly is averaging 4.8 rebounds, Chinn close behind with 4.6. Tech, meanwhile, has four double-digit scorers with Kesha Brady leading with a 12.5-point clip. Mackenzie Coleman (10.9), Anna Jones (10.9) and Jordan Brock (10.1) are also above the 10-point-per-game plateau, while Jada Guinn is close at 9.1. Coleman, Jones and Guinn are all three averaging a team-high 6.2 ricochets.
While the Belmont-Tech series is a relatively recent one in conference terms, the two teams have been meeting since the beginning of Tech's varsity run in 1970-71. The Golden Eagles own a 27-23 all-time series record, but since joining the OVC, the Bruins are 14-4, including 10 straight wins from 2014 to 2018. Tech snapped the Belmont's 47-game OVC winning streak with that aforementioned 2019 victory, but the Bruins have won the four meetings since.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information, file
