By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Reghan Grimes stood behind the arc. She was cool, collected.
Just 45 seconds earlier, Little Rock had retaken the lead in a game that was tilting back and forth. The home Trojans then had just missed a jump shot in the paint that could have extended their lead, but Chloe Larry came up with the rebound.
As the seconds ticked away down to 27, Grimes took the pass. She set up and it seemed like she had all the time in the world. As she fired, the ball's arc went perfectly into the net. Tennessee Tech was back on top by two points.
However, Little Rock wasn't going down without a fight. Jordan Holman went in for a layup to knot the game once more at 57-all. With 11 seconds left, overtime was looking very much a possibility.
The Golden Eagles had the ball and the opportunity to set up a last-ditch shot. Grimes, once more in possession, leaned into the lane for a driving layup, but was met by Holman with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. The referees called the foul – a call that also led to a technical against the Little Rock bench.
Grimes missed the first, but she only needed the second to put the Golden Eagles on top. Laughing off the first miss, the junior didn't miss the second and Tech was back on top.
Peyton Carter was the designated shooter for the technical free throws and she sank both of them, extending Tech's lead to three. With possession of the ball after the technical, Tech quickly saw Taris Thornton put at the line with Little Rock trying to get the ball back for one last try.
Instead, Thornton hit the front end of the pair, sealing what became a 61-57 final margin.
With that, Tech improved to 19-5 on the season, 13-2 in the Ohio Valley, and collected its 10th win in a row – one win shy of tying the longest streak in the Kim Rosamond era with 11 straight in 2019-20 and the fifth longest in program history. The win also gives the Golden Eagles its first-ever victory at Little Rock in its third visit to Jack Stephens Arena.
The Golden Eagles also remain in the tie at the top of the OVC standings after Lindenwood defeated Morehead State 68-61 on Thursday.
So how tight was the game in Little Rock? There were nine ties in the game and seven lead changes. Both teams led the game for significant amount of time and nearly equaled, but the Trojans held an 18:21 to 15:16 advantage in that stat.
Fouls were definitely a factor as the two teams combined for 43 fouls – 24 for the Trojans and 19 for the Golden Eagles. Tech was able to avoid any disqualifications, but the Trojans lost leading scorers Sug Williams and Holman with their fifth fouls. Tech was 17-for-24 at the line and Little Rock 16-for-19.
The Golden Eagles saw an eight-point lead disappear into the second quarter as the Trojans went on a 10-0 run and outscore Tech 20-12 in the period for a 32-28 halftime lead. The Golden Eagles inched closer in the third but still trailed 44-41 after three. Tech did outscore the Trojans 20-13 in a finale that saw five ties and five lead changes.
Peyton Carter scored eight points in the final 10 minutes, including 4-for-5 at the free-throw line. Tech was 7-for-11 at the stripe in the quarter, while Little Rock was 4-for-5. The Trojans turned the ball over six times in the fourth, leading to eight points.
Tech was 6-for-12 shooting in the fourth, while Little Rock was 4-for-10.
Grimes led Tech in scoring with 17 points, knocking down six of her eight shot attempts, including 2-for-3 from long-range. She was also 3-for-4 at the stripe, while also collecting seven rebounds, a steal and a block.
Larry scored 13 points with six boards, an assist and a steal, while Peyton Carter had 12 points with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Williams led Little Rock (13-12, 11-5 OVC) with 15 points and 12 boards for the double-double, while Holman had 14 points and Emerald Parker 12.
The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday as they conclude the road portion of the regular-season slate at Cape Girardeau to take on Southeast Missouri in a 1:30 p.m. contest. Tech returns home next Thursday for the first of four home contests to close out the regular season.
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
