By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Thursday night felt like it was a late-round game in the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships. The bout between Tennessee Tech and Morehead State had drama, excitement and a photo finish. It had March emotion in February.
In the end, Tennessee Tech prevailed 61-58. It wasn't pretty. It was survive and advance basketball at its finest.
The Golden Eagles improve to 14-10 overall, 7-8 in the OVC, while Morehead State falls to 15-11 overall, 10-5 in the league. The host Eagles fall out of the logjam in second into a solo hold on fourth place, while Western Illinois (13-3), Lindenwood (11-4) and Southern Indiana (11-4) continue to stand in the top three spots. Tech now sits three games back of a potential bye in the conference tournament with five games remaining.
The first two quarters were as even as they could be. Tech won the first stanza, outscoring Morehead 14-13. The Eagles used a seven-point run in the second, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Eagles extended their slim margin 15-12 for a 29-25 halftime lead.
Tech took a 9-0 run to open the third quarter to get its largest lead of the game of 13 points, but Morehead State came back, chipping away from the Golden Eagles' new cushion as Tech outscored the hosts 23-18.
The fourth quarter belonged to Morehead State. The Eagles outscored Tech 15-9, but it wasn't enough to reclaim the lead as the Golden Eagles held on.
With 4:08 left, MSU cut it back down to two points – 54-52 Tech – with a Landon Forbes 3-pointer, but Reghan Grimes sank a layup to get back out by four with 3:49 remaining. However, that was the last field goal Tech hit in the game.
Violet McNece hit the back end of two free throws to get Morehead back within three at 2:18, then neither team scored for almost two minutes. Tech turned the ball over twice – including a challenged call. Morehead lost the ball three times in that span.
The scoring drought ended as Chloe Larry sank a crucial pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining to put the Golden Eagles back up 58-53. McNece answered with a 3-pointer on the opposite end to cut it back to two points with 17 seconds left.
Needing to foul, MSU tapped Larry to send her to the line. She missed the first, then found the composure to knock down the second to reclaim the 59-56 lead. Grimes blocked a potential game-tying shot with 12 seconds left, but the Eagles forced a turnover. McNece tried again, but was forced inside for a layup – again a one-point Tech lead with six seconds left.
Anja Ekstrom fouled Grimes to put her at the line. The Tech senior drained both to put the Golden Eagles back up by three.
Morehead State had one last shot at it after a foul on Larry allowed the Eagles to move the ball and get one last 3-point try for Forbes, but the ball was off the mark, securing the Tech victory.
Reagan Hurst led Tech in scoring with 21 points – including 14 points in the third quarter alone with three 3-pointers and 5-for-6 at the line in the period. She ended the game with four 3-pointers.
Grimes finished the game with a double-double as she scored 13 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. She went 7-for-7 at the stripe, while also collecting four assists, three steals and a block.
Forbes led Morehead State with 18 points, while Katie Dike and McNece each had 11.
Both teams shot a shade over 37 percent from the field, but Tech ended the night shooting 90 percent from the line, hitting 18 of 20 charity tosses.
The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday as they take on Southern Indiana in a nationally televised game on ESPNU. Tipoff is set for 1 PM.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
