By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech fans might be forgiven for a slight feeling of déjà vu on Thursday night at the Hooper Eblen Center as the Golden Eagles put together another strong outing against Lindenwood, almost mirroring its previous contest against the Lions back in December.
Tech (16-9, 10-5 Ohio Valley Conference) cruised to a 71-39 victory over the Lions, using a 10-0 run in the second quarter to help close the door early.
The Golden Eagles also accomplished something they haven't done in some time – securing double-digit wins in the OVC for the fifth straight season, the first time the team has done that stretch since the 2001-02 campaign.
Coupled with strong shooting, including a 66.7-percent effort in the fourth quarter, the Golden Eagles were able to force 30 turnovers, converting those into 27 points.
Tech also exploited Lindenwood inside, creating 38 points in the paint.
Jada Guinn led the Golden Eagles with 12 points as she was 6-for-7 on the floor, while Maaliya Owens was able to score 10 points. Tech saw every active player on the roster compete in significant minutes and put up good numbers against the Lions (2-21, 1-11 OVC) as the Golden Eagles had 32 bench points.
Lindenwood only had eight active players in the contest and got 13 points and seven rebounds from Mary McGrath, while Brooke Woodyard finished with 10 points as she was 3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
The visiting Lions tried to keep pace in the first quarter, but the Golden Eagles were able to outscore Lindenwood 16-13 in the opening 10 minutes. Tech then outscored the Lions 21-5 in the second – LU hitting just two field goals in each the second and third quarters – as they scored just seven more points in the third, and outscored 34-12 in the middle two quarters.
Tech extended its advantage by outscoring Lindenwood 21-14 in the final 10 minutes.
The young players for the Golden Eagles had opportunities to shine as Reagan Hurst scored five points, Reghan Grimes eight, Ansley Hall six and Cayla Cowart five.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday as they close out the home portion of the schedule with Senior Day festivities against UT Martin. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Eblen Center.
Tickets are on sale for the home finale – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com.
Photo | Jim Dillon
