Women's Basketball hosts in-state rival Austin Peay
January 25, 2013

Women's Basketball hosts in-state rival Austin Peay

The Golden Eagle women's basketball team will host the Lady Govs of Austin Peay Saturday, Jan. 26 in the first part of an OVC double-header. Tech is focused on jumping back into the win column after dropping two-straight losses to conference opponents. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

Recap Box Score

 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Golden Eagle women's basketball team will host the Lady Govs of Austin Peay Saturday, Jan. 26 in the first part of an Ohio Valley Conference double-header. Tech is focused on jumping back into the win column after dropping two-straight losses to conference opponents. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. 

Tennessee Tech (10-9, 4-2 OVC) vs. Austin Peay (5-13, 0-6 OVC)
Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013
5:30 p.m. CT
Hooper Eblen Center - Cookeville, Tenn. 

The Broadcasts
TV: WCTE (Buddy Pearson, Bill Worrell)
Radio: Fox Sports Radio, 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey)
Webcast: OVC Digital Network
 Live Stats

Setting the Stage
 40 years ago a piece of legislation was passed allowing women the same opportunities to play collegiate athletics as men. On the anniversary of Title IX, Tennessee Tech will celebrate it's revolutionary past on annual Legends Night. It is fitting that two of the oldest OVC members will meet on center stage to compete in what could be a vital win for the Golden Eagles.

The Lady Govs enter the contest winless in the conference while Tech has lost its past two competitions. Both teams are on a losing streak, but one will leave the Eblen Center with a victory. The two teams first met in 1970, prior to Title IX, becoming pioneers of the sport. They have played each other 88 times since that first meeting, and Tech holds a 71-17 edge over the in-state rival.

The game will be a multi-event, headlining State Farm Night, Tech Legends Night, Title IX Night, and OVC's Hoops for Heroes.  

As part of the Ohio Valley Conference's "Hoops for Heroes" initiative, two local warriors and their families have been invited to attend the OVC Basketball Tournament in Nashville, March 6-9, with their week's expenses provided from fund-raising efforts by Tennessee Tech University's student-athletes.

A Glance at the 2012-13 Golden Eagles

The Purple and Gold opened conference action with a 4-0 record mirroring the 2001-02 season in which Tech won the OVC Regular Season. Since the perfect start, the Golden Eagles have dropped two-straight games to conference opponents, giving up 89 and 81 points in the past two games to Eastern Illinois and UT Martin respectively. 

Despite the losses, the Golden Eagles continue to lead the OVC with a .423 field goal percentage and a .361 three-point field goal percentage. Tech has shot over 50 percent from the floor in three of its past four competitions. 

In OVC play, the Golden Eagles have three players scoring in the double-digits. Tech is led by Diamond Henderson with 16.2 points per game, Jala Harris contribuding 15.0 points per game and Lashay Davis adding 10.5 points per game. Harris leads the team averaging 5.0 assists per game in OVC action  and collecting 76 assists this season, nearly doubling last seasons total. 

The guard oriented team has faced difficultly on the boards, but outrebounded UT Martin Monday night, marking the first time the Golden Eagles have grabbed more boards then their opponent in five games. 

Freshman Mariah Dean had a career high seven rebounds in the Golden Eagles last outing, but Tech is led by sophomore T'Keyah WIlliams with 5.4 rebounds per game, and Molly Heady getting ahold of 4.8 rebounds per game. 

Tech is averaging 69.8 points, 7.0 threes, 32.8 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.0 blocks per game in conference action. 

A Look at the Lady Govs
 Austin Peay has lost six-straight games, all conference, with their last win occuring Dec. 29 over Alabama A&M. The Lady Govs are led by Meghan Bussabarger and Leslie Martinez who average 12.3 and 10.7 points per game respectively. Martinez also leads the Lady Govs with 8.1 rebounds per game. 

The Lady Govs are averaging 61.3 points, 34.2 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 9.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game this season. 

Austin Peay is coached Carrie Daniels who is in her sixth season at the helm of the women's basketball program. Daniels was a member of the Lady Govs when they reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 1996. Austin Peay lost to Clemson in the first round of the tournament, a Lady Tiger team that was coached by now Tech head coach Jim Davis. 

Series History
 The Golden Eagles hold a 71-17 advantage against the Lady Govs, dominating the series throughout the 90's and winning a program high 19 in a row. However, the Golden Eagles are 6-4 in the past 10 pairings. 

Tech edged a 68-65 win last season in Clarksville in the only meeting between the Lady Govs and the Golden Eagles. The two teams met three times in the 2010-11 season; Tech won two of the three, but lost on their home court 63-57 in regular season action. 

The seniors hold a 4-3 record against Austin Peay, while first year head coach Jim Davis is 4-0 against the Lady Govs. Davis first met Austin Peay at the helm of Middle Tennessee when he traveled to Clarksville to defeat the Lady Govs 92-68 and then went on to beat them again in Cookeville 89-58 during the 1986-87 season.  Davis faced the Lady Govs 10 years later in the first round of the NCAA in 1996 as head coach of the Clemson Lady Tigers 79-52 and again the following season when Clemson hosted the Lady Govs in a 88-68 victory.