Tech ends season on high note, tops Morehead State on Senior Night
Dennis Ogbe pumped in a career-high 26 points and Jud Dillard added 23 as Tennessee Tech wrapped up the 2012-13 season with a 72-66 OVC victory over Morehead State Saturday night.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Dennis Ogbe made sure that his senior
teammates, Jud Dillard and Terrell Barnes, would go out in style
Saturday night. And in dramatic fashion.
The junior from Germany scored from inside and outside on his way
to a career-high 26 points, leading Tennessee Tech to an exciting,
last-minute 72-66 victory over Morehead State in Ohio Valley
Conference play on Senior Night in the Eblen Center.
Tech (12-17/5-11 OVC) saw its season come to a close on a high
note with the victory. The Golden Eagles were eliminated from the
post-season earlier in the day, but still left everything on the
floor.
Morehead State (14-17/8-8 OVC) advances to the OVC Tournament next
week as the No. 5 seed.
Ogbe was 9-for-15 overall from the floor, including 5-of-8 from
long distance, in his way to being the game’s high scorer. He
also had six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Dillard nearly matched him, finishing with 23 points, seven
rebounds, three assists and four steals in his final game in a
Golden Eagle uniform. Barnes had five rebounds in his last
action.
Angelo Warner led Morehead State with 11 points and six rebounds
while Chad Posthumous added 10 points and six rebounds. Eleven of
the 12 Eagles who saw action scored.
Junior Jeremiah Samarrippas added nine points and five assists,
scoring Tech’s final five points in clutch fashion. With the
contest tied at 66-all, the point guard fired up a long 3-pointer
that hit nothin’ but net with 52 seconds left, giving Tech a
69-66 lead.
Following a steal by Dillard, Samarrippas drained two free throws
with 13 seconds left to make it 71-66.
Barnes grabbed a rebound on the defensive end that led to one
final free throw by Dillard with one second left for the final
margin. It was fitting that Dillard scored the final point of the
season and Barnes retrieved the final rebound of the year for coach
Steve Payne’s squad.
Neither team ever held control of the contest, with seven points
being the largest margin both ways. The scored was tied 11 times
and the lead changed hands 12 times.
Golden Eagle seniors Terrell Barnes (left) and Jud
Dillard were joined by family members in pregame Senior Night
ceremonies.
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