By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MOREHEAD, Ky. – As Tennessee Tech begins its second and final lap through the Ohio Valley Conference before the conference tournament in March, the Golden Eagles find themselves two games back from first-place Eastern Illinois for the league title.
Tech (14-5 overall, 8-2 OVC) is currently tied with Lindenwood (12-7, 8-2 OVC) for second place, while defending conference champ Southern Indiana – Saturday's opponent in Evansville – stands half-a-game back from the Golden Eagles with an 8-3 mark in league play following Tuesday night's 20-point win over Morehead State.
Little Rock (7-3 OVC) is a game back from Tech to round out the top five, while Western Illinois and UT Martin (both 4-6 OVC) are currently in sixth and seventh. Southeast Missouri (2-7 OVC), SIUE (2-8 OVC), Morehead State (2-9 OVC) and Tennessee State (1-9 OVC) are trying to battle back with just over a month remaining in the regular season.
As Tech starts the second half of the league campaign, the Golden Eagles will start the next leg of the run in Morehead on Thursday night. Tipoff for the game is set for 4 p.m. Central time. Roger Ealey will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while the game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
The home Eagles are still trying to find their footing in league play with their 2-9 mark, falling in their fifth straight outing after a 72-52 defeat to Southern Indiana on Tuesday. Former Golden Eagle Harley Paynter did not see any action in the contest as Chrishawn Coleman led MSU with 11 points as the team's only double-digit scorer. Katie Dike and Aaliyah Holmes both scored eight, while Kuryn Brunson and Aileen Marquez each scored seven.
The game was close at the intermission with Southern Indiana leading 35-34, but the Screaming Eagles outscored Morehead 37-18 in the second half, including a 19-7 third quarter. MSU shot 25 percent from the field in the second half.
Meredith Raley led USI with 14 points, while Madison Webb scored 11 with eight assists and five steals, and Vanessa Stafford added 10 with seven rebounds. The Screaming Eagles were also 17-for-19 at the free-throw line with a 10-for-11 string in the fourth quarter.
With a 7-14 overall record, MSU is averaging 66.5 points a game, but allowing 73.2. As a team, the Eagles are shooting .397 from the field, .260 from 3-point range with an average of 4.5 makes a game, and .656 from the free-throw line with 12.6 per game.
MSU's current five-game losing streak is its longest of the season.
Katie Novik, the team's leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, has not seen any action since Jan. 11 at Southeast Missouri, the team's last victory. Since then, MSU has averaged 54 points a game and allowed an average of 82.6.
Coleman averages 9.9 points a game, while Paynter is averaging 8.8 and Marquez 8.7. Novik and Michelle Ugwah lead the team in rebounding with 5.3 boards a game each, with Novik also leading in assists (72) and steals (42). The next closest is Paynter in assists with 32 and Alyssa Berry with 26, as well as Coleman with 38 steals.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are averaging 69.3 points per game and allowing 62.3, while shooting .421 from the field, .354 from 3-point range with an average 7.2 made, and .736 from the free-throw line with an average of 14.8 charity tosses made.
Reghan Grimes leads the team in overall scoring with a 13.3-point average, while Peyton Carter (11.6 ppg), Chloe Larry (10.6 ppg) and Keeley Carter (10.4 ppg) follow closely behind with Anna Walker (9.3 ppg) and Taris Thornton (9.0 ppg) on the cusp of double-digit averages. In OVC play alone, Keeley Carter leads the way with 13.7 ppg, followed by Grimes (12.7 ppg), Peyton Carter (11.9 ppg) and Larry (10.3 ppg).
Walker leads the way in rebounding with a 6.5-board average and 29 total blocks, while Peyton Carter leads the team with 71 assists and Grimes has 34 steals.
Following Thursday's contest, the Golden Eagles close out the road trip with a visit to Southern Indiana.
Tech returns home next Thursday as it hosts SIUE.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
