Bowens, Lyons lead Tech to "grand" win over EKU
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Meagan Lyons was recognized
during pregame ceremonies for reaching 1,000 career points. Early
in the second half, senior Blair Bowens joined Lyons in the
1,000-Point Club, and the flashy pair helped Tennessee Tech claim
an exciting 82-64 come-from-behind victory over Eastern Kentucky
Thursday night in Eblen Center in Ohiol Valley Conference
women’s basketball action.
Down by 12 in the first half, Tech stormed back to grab the lead
before halftime, then expanded it to double digits in the second
half with a balanced scoring attack and some timely rebounding.
Four players scored in double figures for Tech, led by Bowens, who
tied her career-high with 27 points, and Lyons with 15. Freshman
Tacarra Hayes added 14 points and Vivian Nwosu scored 12 important
points to help Tech snap a five-game losing streak.
The Golden Eagles, 5-18 overall, improved to 3-9 in the Ohio Valley
Conference and climbed into a tie in the standings with Eastern
Kentucky. The Lady Colonels left town with a 6-15 overall mark and
a 3-9 record in the league.
Freshman Kayla Drake led EKU with 23 points, while sophomore Nadia
Mossong added 18 points.
The first 10 minutes of the game were pretty forgettable for the
Golden Eagles, who fell behind by a dozen points under an onslaught
of EKU 3-pointers and a complete domination on the boards by the
visitors.
But the next 10 minutes were more than memorable for the Golden
Eagles, who completed their amazing comeback with a 3-pointer by
Bowens with 1:13 remaining in the half to put Tech on top
30-29.
After trailing for nearly 19 minutes, Tech took a 32-31 lead into
halftime.
EKU was on target to open the game – that is, Drake and
Mossong were on target. Drake hit three of her first four 3-point
attempts to score nine points and Mossong was 2-for-3 from outside
the arc to account for six points as the Lady Colonels raced out to
a 15-5 lead in the first five minutes.
The lead hit 12 points with 10 minutes left in the half, 23-11, and
EKU owned a 12-4 advantage in rebounds during that span. The Lady
Colonels were 8-for-14 in the first 10 minutes and Tech was
4-for-14.
But Tech battled back. The Golden Eagle defense forced four missed
EKU shots in a row and held the Lady Colonels without a basket for
more than five minutes. At the same time, Tech went 3-for-4,
cutting the gap to 24-17.
Following a layup by Mossong with 3:34 to play to give EKU a 28-21
lead, Hayes started a 9-1 run with a layup. Hayes and Bowens each
made two free throws, then Bowens nailed the 3-pointer to put Tech
ahead.
“We did get down in the first half, but we kept our
composure, and were able to get back in the game,” Bowens
said. “We did a real good job of taking care of the
basketball.”
Tech built its lead to a dozen (48-36), and the nearest EKU would
get after that was seven points (53-47) with 9:29 to go. The Golden
Eagles kept their lead in double digits, with the largest margin
being 19 a couple times late in the contest.
One key stat in the game – Tech had 18 points points off of
22 EKU turnovers, while the Lady Colonels managed just one point
off 14 Tech turnovers.
Bowens finished the game 6-for-11 from the field, including 5-for-8
from long range. She was 10-for-10 at the free throw line. She will
receive a commemorative ball Saturday prior to the introduction of
starting lineups.
The Golden Eagles remain at home for their next game, hosting
Morehead State Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Morehead dropped an OVC game
at Jacksonville State Thursday night.
