Cameron's 20 Points Lead Golden Eagles to 88-84 road-win over USC Upstate
Tennessee Tech men's basketball had four players in double-digits with Mekhi Cameron leading the way with 20 points, joined by Dani Pounds (16 pts), Ja'Quavian Florence (13 pts), and JaJuan Nicholls (11 pts).
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
41 | 47 | 88 |
|
|
41 | 43 | 84 |
Team Stats
USC Upstate
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | USC Upstate |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-55) | (31-65) |
| Field Goal % | 49.1% | 47.7% |
| Rebounds | 42 | 29 |
| Assists | 10 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 9 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 22 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 8 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 48 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 12 | 18 |
| Bench Pts | 37 | 31 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Tennessee Tech men's basketball secures its first road win of the season behind 20 points from Mekhi Cameron, taking down USC Upstate 88-84 on Wednesday night.
Four players finished in double digits for the Golden Eagles, who improve to 3-3 overall on the season with the four-point road win over the Spartans. It's the first road victory of the season, and the Golden Eagles had to fend off a late push from USC Upstate in a hostile environment.
Leading the way was Mekhi Cameron with 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. His 20 points were one point shy of his career-high 21 against Georgia last season (11/4/24). Joining Cameron was Dani Pounds with 16 points on 3-of-7 from the field and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Ja'Quavian Florence poured in 13 points on 4-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-3 from three. JaJuan Nicholls added 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field and grabbed five rebounds. A pair of buckets late by Nicholls helped TTU grab the four-point win.
Correction: Nicholls with a big bucket!
— TTU Men's Basketball (@TTU_Basketball) November 20, 2025
Tech 76, USC Upstate 76 | 3:07
��: @ESPNPlus #WingsUp pic.twitter.com/Hvpv4B19UG
Grant Slatten scored nine points in the first half and was second on the team going into the break, but four first-half fouls limited his minutes in the second frame. He made 3-of-3 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range.
C.J. McPherson added six points, Brandon Muntu finished with five points, and Jah'Kim Payne chipped in five, including this big three in the second half.
Make the extra pass!
— TTU Men's Basketball (@TTU_Basketball) November 20, 2025
Payne from 3️⃣
��: @ESPNPlus #WingsUp pic.twitter.com/un14nCue46
Tech shot 49.1 percent from the field (27-55), 38.1 percent from three (8-21), and posted one of the best games from the charity stripe when it was needed most, making 26-of-32 (81.3) from the line.
The Golden Eagles led by as much as 11 points with 4:58 left in the first half. Overall, Tech shot 70.8 percent from the paint, making 17-of-24 from the lane.
Tech held an 11-point advantage with Cameron on the floor, compared to a minus-seven-point differential with him on the bench.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first 20 minutes, Tech and USC Upstate traded shots for most of the half, ending it tied 41-41. The Golden Eagles shot 5-of-12 from three-point land and went into the halftime break with a 56.0 shooting percentage (14-25).
Cameron closed the first 20 minutes with 10 points, and Slatten was second on the team with nine. Nicholls was third on the team with seven points at the halftime break.
The Golden Eagles made five three-pointers, but it was big free throws near the end of the half that helped absorb a run by the Spartans.
The first half ended with two free throws by Cameron and started the scoring in the second stanza with Pounds making a pair.
In the second half, Pounds scored 12 of his 16 points on 2-of-5 from the field. Cameron, who split his 20, scored 10 in the second frame on 2-of-5 shooting as well.
The Golden Eagles outrebounded the Spartans 26-17 in the second frame and 42-29 for the entire game. Tech withstood a second-half push by USC Upstate, who shot 51.4 percent from the field, making 19 shots to Tech's 13 made shots.
Cameron also made two key free throws to make it a two-possession game late and lift the Golden Eagles to an 88-84 win.
Before those free throws, Nicholls grabbed a pair of offensive boards and made two huge shots with around 3:30 minutes left to help keep the Golden Eagles up four points and withstand the push from USC Upstate.
In total, there were 11 lead changes, and the game was tied 12 times. Tech held the lead for 29:11, while Upstate played with a lead for just 6:02.
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Tickets for Tennessee Tech Men's Basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or order online at TTUsports.com.
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