Eastern Kentucky holds on to secure 80-73 OVC victory
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In a game
that brought together two of the most prolific 3-point shooting
teams in the nation, both Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech were
above average.
It also featured two of the most accurate 3-point shooting squads,
but while Tech hit a little above its season percentage from long
range, the visiting Colonels excelled.
That combination led to a 80-73 Eastern Kentucky victory Thursday
night in Eblen Center in Ohio Valley Conference play.
Two EKU players did most of the damage. Mike Rose was 6-for-8 from
long range on his way to 27 points, while Josh Taylor was 4-for-5
from outside the arc and finished with 12 points.
EKU, averaging 10.3 per game from 3-point range to rank second in
the nation, hit 12-of-24 attempts. Tech, averaging 7.4 per game,
finished 11-for-26..
The difference came in their accuracy. Tech shot 42.3 percent,
better than its season mark of 38.8 percent. The Colonels,
meanwhile, came into the game shooting 38.4 percent and connected
on 50 percent, thanks mostly to Rose and Taylor.
Tech raced out to an 8-0 lead, and the Golden Eagles went up by
nine points in the early going, before EKU used a 13-0 run to get
back into the contest.The Colonels eventually made it a 21-2
stretch and built a 10-point lead, 29-19, with 8:41 to go in the
half.
The Colonel lead went as big as 14 before EKU took a 43-32 edge
into halftime.
The Golden Eagles trimmed the EKU lead down to six early in the
second half following a 3-pointer by Murphy, but the Colonels shot
back with consecutive treys from Taylor and Rose to regain a
12-point edge.
Again, Tech made it a nine-point game, but Rose, Camacho and Hones
scored layups during a 36-second span and the 6-0 run made it a
15-point Colonel lead, 55-40, with 11:55 remaining.
Down by a dozen with 5:24 to play following a layup by Papa Oppong,
Tech used a 6-0 run to make it a six-point game, 64-58. EKU
wouldn’t make a basket over the final 5:24, but the Colonels
make 16 free throws during that stretch to hang on.
Kevin Murphy made a 3-pointer with 38 seconds to play to make it
76-71, and Will Barnes got a steal and layup 12 seconds later to
make it a one possession game, 76-73, with 26 seconds left.
George Camacho and Mike Rose each canned two free throws to secure
the win.
Rose led all scorers with 27 points and added six rebounds and
three steals. Camacho finished with 15 points and seven rebounds,
going 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Taylor and Joshua Jones each
scored 12 for the Colonels.
Murphy led Tech with 21 points, hitting 6-for-9 from long range for
the Golden Eagles. Alfred Jones and Will Barnes had 11 points each.
Daniel Northern had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Next on the schedule for the Golden Eagles is a visit from Morehead
State Saturday night, with tipoff in Eblen Center set for 7:30 p.m.
The homestand also includes a Monday night game at 7 p.m. against
Austin Peay.
