Golden Eagles Men's Basketball falls at No. 19 Kentucky
Tennessee Tech men's basketball falls 104-54 to Kentucky on the road Wednesday night at Rupp Arena.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
28 | 26 | 54 |
|
|
43 | 61 | 104 |
Team Stats
Kentucky
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (23-69) | (39-66) |
| Field Goal % | 33.3% | 59.1% |
| Rebounds | 27 | 48 |
| Assists | 8 | 27 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 10 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 8 | 18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 16 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 48 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 10 | 27 |
| Bench Pts | 29 | 38 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Tennessee Tech (3-4, 0-0) men's basketball falls 104-54 to Kentucky (5-2, 0-0) on the road in Rupp Arena on Wednesday evening.
In a homecoming for Coach Pelphrey, the emotions and the memories were plentiful as all four of Kentucky's 'Unforgettables' (Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, John Pelphrey, and Sean Woods) returned to Rupp Arena for the first time since 1992. Coach Pelphrey's Golden Eagles knew that the atmosphere of a nearly sold-out arena would present a challenge in hostile territory.
The Golden Eagles kept within the No. 19 team in the country for most of the first half, grabbing a 25-23 lead with 7:18 left in the first stanza on a jumper by Brandon Muntu. Kentucky closed on a 20-3 run to grab a 43-28 advantage at the half. Muntu led Tech with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-3 from three-point range, at the halftime break.
Out of the halftime break, Kentucky extended its lead from 15 to 21 with consecutive baskets by Denzel Aberdeen (3-pointer), Otega Oweh (dunk), and Collin Chandler (3-pointer) to pull away. Kentucky scored 61 second-half points to hand Tech a 104-54 defeat.
TTU finished with two players in double figures, led by Ja'Quavian Florence's 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting, and Dani Pounds' 10 points on 4-of-10 from the field. JaJuan Nicholls led the team with six rebounds. Muntu finished with nine points, all in the first half, on 4-of-9 shooting. Nicholls added seven points on 3-of-6 from the field.
Tennessee Tech was outshot 59.1% (39-66) to 33.3% (23-69) and outrebounded 48-27 in the loss. In all, there were seven lead changes, and the game was tied four times. Kentucky held the lead for 30:20, while Tech had the lead for 5:57. The Wildcats finished with 18 points off 11 turnovers, and the Golden Eagles managed just eight points off 10 turnovers by Kentucky.
Tech was outscored 48-to-24 in the paint, 16-to-9 on second-chance opportunities, 27-to-10 on fast breaks, and 38-to-29 in bench points.
Kentucky had four players in double-digit scoring, with three players sharing the team lead in points 16: Oweh, Aberdeen, and Trent Noah. Malachi Moreno posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrija Jelavic grabbed 10 rebounds to make the second player in double digit rebounds for Kentucky.
NEXT UP
The Golden Eagles fall to 3-4 on the year and have a quick turnaround matchup at Georgia (6-1, 0-0 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. CT.
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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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