Golden Eagles visit Appalachian State in ESPNU BracketBuster
The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will step out of Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday night when it visits Appalachian State in an ESPNU BracketBuster game, which tips off at 6 p.m. central in Boone, N.C.
BOONE, N.C. -- The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will
step out of Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday night when it
visits Appalachian State in an ESPNU BracketBuster game, which tips
off at 6 p.m. central in Boone, N.C.
Tech is coming off back-to-back overtime losses earlier in the
week, falling at Tennessee State in double-overtime 109-102 on Feb.
15, and dropping a 77-72 overtime game at Austin Peay on Feb.
18.
The Golden Eagles are led by sophomore Kevin Murphy who is fifth
in the OVC in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. Senior Frank
Davis, who is 10th on the OVC’s all-time 3-pointers made
list, is averaging 14.6 points per game for Tech, and is third in
the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.2 percent. Senior
Elijah Muhammad is second in the OVC with 4.5 assists per game, and
is also averaging 12.4 points for the Golden Eagles.
Appalachian State is led by Donald Sims, who is averaging 19.8
points per game this season. Isaac Butts is averaging 7.9 rebounds
per game, and the Mountaineers are out-rebounding their opponents
by 7.1 boards per game. The Mountaineers are coached by Buzz
Peterson, who is in the first year of his second stint as the head
coach at Appalachian State. Peterson led the Mountaineers to a
79-39 record, three Southern Conference championships and an NCAA
Tournament appearance from 1996-2000. Peterson played his
collegiate basketball at the University of North Carolina, and
helped the Tar Heels to four ACC championships and a national
championship from 1981-85.
Appalachian State owns a 3-2 record against Tech in the all-time
series between the two programs. The Mountaineers and Golden Eagles
faced each other in back-to-back seasons a few years back, playing
at Tech in 2003-04 and at ASU in 2004-05, with the home team
winning both contests.
The Golden Eagles are competing in the ESPNU BracketBuster series
for the fifth consecutive year, and Tech is 1-3 in BracketBuster
games. Tech’s first BracketBuster game was in 2006, when the
Golden Eagles lost at Bradley, 77-62. In 2007, Tech defeated
Northwestern (La.) State, 85-84, in overtime. In 2008, the Golden
Eagles dropped an 88-80 contest at East Tennessee State and last
year Tech fell at Ball State 59-55.
Fans can catch all the Golden Eagle action Saturday on Teamline
and WHUB-AM 1400. The Golden Eagle women’s game at Austin
Peay will air on WHUB beginning at 5:15 as well as Teamline via
phone or internet. The men’s game can be heard in its
entirety on Teamline, and WHUB will pick up the men’s game in
progress at the conclusion of the women’s game.
Tech will return home for its season finale on Feb. 27 against
Jacksonville State. The Golden Eagles and Gamecocks are currently
in a tie for sixth place in the OVC, with the winner of that game
clinching the No. 6 seed in the OVC tournament, and the loser
dropping to the No. 7 seed.
For more information or to purchase tickets please visit or call
the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center at (931) 372-3940 or
visit TTUsports.com.
