Quest begins for Golden Eagles to capture OVC tourney crown
Their first goal accomplished by capturing the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, Tennessee Tech's Golden Eagle basketball team turns its focus to the next challenge: Winning the OVC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Their first goal accomplished by capturing
the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, Tennessee
Tech's Golden Eagle basketball team turns its focus to the next
challenge: Winning the OVC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA
Tournament.
Tech hosts Eastern Illinois Tuesday night in Eblen Center in a
first round game of the O'Reilly OVC Basketball Tournament. The
winner Tuesday will advance to a semifinal game Friday at 5:30 p.m.
in Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.
Tickets for Tuesday's game are available at the Eblen Center
ticket office. Tech students can get in free, with their $4
admission paid for by alumni donations. Adult and senior tickets
are $10 each, while youth tickets (high school and younger) are $4
each.
The Golden Eagles (17-10 overall/12-4 OVC) won the OVC title
outright with a win Saturday at Morehead State to wrap up the
regular season. Tech defeated EIU twice this season, posting
a 86-72 win in Eblen Center on Jan. 6, and adding a 81-68
victory in Charleston, Jan. 22.
Willie Jenkins, one of the OVC's Player of the Year candidates,
comes into the game averaging 19.7 ppg and just under seven
rebounds per game. Junior forward Derek Stribling adds over
12 points per contest. The Golden Eagles will also look to
guard Milone Clark, who averaged nearly 15 points and eight
rebounds in Tech's championship-clinching week over Austin Peay and
Morehead State.
Eastern Illinois brings a 12-15 overall record into the
contest, including a 7-9 record in OVC action.
