Strong second half lifts Tech over SEMO for fourth consecutive win
The Golden Eagles took control of a close contest with a solid five minutes to open the second half and rode the advantage to an 82-68 victory over Southeast Missouri Saturday night in Eblen Center in Ohio Valley Conference action.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech took control of a close
contest with a solid five minutes to open the second half and rode
the advantage to an 82-68 victory over Southeast Missouri Saturday
night in Eblen Center in Ohio Valley Conference action.
Tech turned a nine-point halftime lead into a 16-point bulge to
kick off the second half to the delight of the crowd of 1,350 which
turned out despite difficult driving conditions and wintry
weather.
It was Tech’s fourth consecutive win and fifth in the last
six games as the Golden Eagles improved to 12-10 overall and 6-5
within the league. SEMO fell to 6-15 overall and 3-8 in the
OVC.
The Golden Eagles got a balanced effort in the scoring column with
five players in double figures. Sophomore Kevin Murphy led all
scorers with 20 points and also had five rebounds, and no
turnovers. Elijah Muhammad added 17 points and four assists, Zach
Bailey scored 13, Frank Davis 12 and Jud Dillard 10. Alfred Jones
had seven points and led Tech on the boards with eight
rebounds.
SEMO had four players in twin digits, led by Anthony Allison and
Jajuan Maxwell with 17 points each. Sam Pearson and LaMont Russell
added 10 apiece. Russell finished with a double-double, finishing
with 13 rebounds for the Redhawks while Maxwell had seven
boards.
Tech came out of the dressing room with a 9-2 run to start the
second half, four by Murphy and a three-point play by Bailey to
make it 53-37.
The largest difference in the second half came with 9:08 to play
when Bailey stole the ball and raced the length of the floor for a
layup to make it 66-44. From there, the Redhawks were able to get
within 13 a couple of times, the last with 31 seconds remaining on
a jumper by Allison.
There were runs in both directions in the first half and each team
appeared ready to take command.
For SEMO, after falling behind 3-0, the Redhawk answer was an 11-1
run for an early 11-4 lead. Down by eight, Tech had an 8-1 stretch
that brought the Golden Eagles back into the contest and made it
23-22 with 6:43 to play. Following a few minutes of sparring, Tech
closed the half by outscoring SEMO 12-4 and went into the break
with a 44-35 lead.
The game ended a successful four-game homestand for the Golden
Eagles as they notched wins over Austin Peay, Tennessee State,
Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.
Tech’s schedule winds through the OVC’s “Death
Valley” next week with stops at Eastern Kentucky Thursday
night and Morehead State Saturday night. Tech’s next home
game is Thursday, Feb. 11, when league-leading Murray State
visits.
New Soccer Recruit? – The Golden Eagle soccer
team claimed the $250 cash prize (photo) that is awarded at each
home game to the most spirited student group. Following the win, to
show his appreciation for the soccer team’s support, head
coach Mike Sutton walked to the end of the court below the team and
took a couple of soccer kicks with a basketball, drawing loud
cheers from the Golden Eagle players and student section.
