By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
MOREHEAD, Ky. – The last time Tennessee Tech faced Morehead State, the visiting Eagles edged the Golden Eagles by the slimmest of margins.
Now, with some momentum behind their tailfeathers, the Tennessee Tech squad is looking to keep climbing in the standings as they head to Johnson Arena to take on Morehead State on Thursday.
Tipoff is scheduled for 4 PM Central/5 PM Eastern. Dylan Vazzano and Frank Harrell will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while the game will also be carried on ESPN+ (subscription required).
As the conference standings stand today, Western Illinois holds on to a tenuous lead in the conference race at 12-3 with Lindenwood, Southern Indiana and Morehead State all nipping at their heels at 10-4 in OVC play. UT Martin is in fifth at 9-5, Little Rock sixth at 8-6 and Tech seventh at 6-8.
The Golden Eagles hold a two-game lead on Southeast Missouri, who is currently possessing the final spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championship field, with SIUE, Tennessee State and Eastern Illinois looking to leapfrog the Redhawks at 3-11 and 3-12.
With six games remaining in the conference race, there's still a lot that can happen.
Morehead State (15-10 overall) saw a six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday as UT Martin topped the Eagles 64-58. MSU had three players in double-figure scoring, led by Violet McNece with 18, Laura Toffali with 15 and Katie Dike with 13. It was a close affair with the Skyhawks taking a one-point advantage in the first and third quarters, then a four-point cushion in the second securing the margin.
UT Martin ended the game hitting 25 of its 48 shots, while Morehead State was 19-for-50 and had to rely on a 10-for-14 effort at the free-throw line to make up some of the difference. The Skyhawks excelled in the paint, outscoring MSU 26-16 under the basket.
For the season, MSU is averaging 64.9 points per game, while allowing 64.9 on defense. The team is shooting .410 from the field, .300 from 3-point range and .705 from the free-throw line. Morehead State is averaging 7.7 3-pointers and 12.0 free throws per game.
Dike is averaging 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while also posting a team-best 17 blocks. Toffali is averaging 12.4 points and 4.8 rebounds, while Marie Sepp is averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds with a team-best 120 assists.
After a seven-game losing streak, the Golden Eagles' fortunes have improved as of late with Tech winning three of the last four games, including a thrilling 75-70 overtime victory over Eastern Illinois. In that game, true freshman LaReesha Cawthorn powered the Golden Eagles with 27 points and 27 rebounds – the latter tying an NCAA freshman single-game record and standing as the fourth-most rebounds by a Tech player and the most since the 1975-76 campaign.
For the season on a whole, Tech is averaging 67.0 points a game and allowing 62.8 on defense. The team is shooting .376 from the field, .318 from 3-point range and .703 from the stripe, averaging 6.7 3-pointers and 14.2 free throws made per game.
Chloe Larry leads the team in scoring average with 14.1 points per game, while Reghan Grime leads in total points with 313 to go with her 13.6 points-per-game average. Grimes also leads the team in assists with 63. Reagan Hurst is also averaging double-figure scoring with 11.6 points per game. Cawthorn (9.7 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (10.4 rpg), blocks (29) and steals (41).
Following Thursday's game, the Golden Eagles will head to Southern Indiana on Saturday to take on the Screaming Eagles in a nationally televised game on ESPNU.
Two home games remain on Tech's schedule as it hosts SIUE on Feb. 19 and Lindenwood on Feb. 21. Tickets for those games 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 Athletics Media Relations
