By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a solid outing on the road last week at Cincinnati, the Tennessee Tech women return home to take on Samford.
The Bulldogs are starting off their season with an 0-2 mark with a 66-62 loss at home to Troy, then a road loss at Vanderbilt, falling 81-51 to the Commodores.
Tipoff for the game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start Monday from the Hooper Eblen Center. With the men playing at the same time at Marshall on Monday night, there will be no radio broadcast from the Eblen Center. Roger Ealey and Michael Cooper will provide the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).
The Golden Eagles have an 8-6 record in the series and have won the last two meetings, including a 72-57 victory over the Bulldogs on November 24, 2019. The two teams were scheduled to play against each other the last two seasons, but those games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Samford currently has two players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Andrea Cournoyer, who scored 25 points against Troy and 15 against Vanderbilt. Cournoyer also led the team in rebounds against Troy with nine caroms. Sussy Ngulefac is second on the squad in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Rylie Stephens (12 total points) and Alyssa Tarpley (11 total points) are the only other two Bulldogs to reach double-figure totals through the first two games.
Samford finished 13-17 last season, going 7-7 in the Southern Conference and fell to Mercer in the SoCon tournament semifinals.
The Bulldogs are currently averaging 56.5 points on offense and 73.5 on defense, shooting .385 from the floor, .316 from long range and .586 from the free-throw line. Samford is pulling down 37.5 rebounds per game – while its opponents are averaging 54.5 boards. Opponents are forcing the Bulldogs into an average of 23 turnovers a game.
Tech (1-1) currently has three players averaging double-digit scoring as graduate Jordan Brock (12.0 ppg), senior Maaliya Owens (11.0 ppg) and freshman Reghan Grimes (10.0 ppg) lead the way, while freshman Reagan Hurst – who had 16 points in the season-opening win last week against Ball State – is close behind at 9.5.
The Golden Eagles topped Ball State – who was ranked No. 14 in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Preseason Top 25 poll – 68-63, then fell to Cincinnati 68-57 in a game where Tech won three of the four quarters, but a second-quarter outburst by the Bearcats was enough to hold the Golden Eagles at bay.
Tech is averaging 62.5 points per game on offense and 65.5 on defense, while shooting .315 from the field, .364 from beyond-the-arc and .853 at the charity stripe. The Golden Eagles are also forcing their foes into an average of 18 turnovers a game.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now. Call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com to order.
Photo | Emily Armstrong
