Tech Hosts UT Martin to cap Opening Weekend in the OVC
Tennessee Tech men’s basketball welcomes rival UT Martin (8-4, 0-1 OVC) for the second straight conference game at Hooper Eblen Center. Opening tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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32 | 54 | 86 |
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31 | 31 | 62 |
Team Stats
UT Martin
| Game Statistics | UT Martin | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (31-58) | (22-52) |
| Field Goal % | 53.4% | 42.3% |
| Rebounds | 32 | 29 |
| Assists | 19 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 23 | 3 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 6 | 5 |
| Bench Pts | 24 | 19 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech men's basketball welcomes rival UT Martin (8-4, 0-1 OVC) for the second straight conference game at Hooper Eblen Center. Opening tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
The Golden Eagles (6-6, 1-0 OVC) grabbed a huge victory over the Redhawks from SEMO to open OVC play. Tech wins its first conference game for the first time since 2018 (W, 66-64 at TSU). Despite dropping the conference opener a season ago, the Golden Eagles rattled off five straight wins to open the 2024-25 season 5-1 in OVC play. The Golden Eagles have won two of the last three matchups with UT Martin, two of those in overtime, and the loss came in the OVC Tournament (L, 70-67) on Mar. 5.
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Game Information
Matchup: Tennessee Tech (6-6, 1-0 OVC) vs. UT Martin (8-4, 0-1 OVC)
Date & Time: Saturday, Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. CT.
Venue: Hooper Eblen Center
Series: Tech leads 43-21
Watch: ESPN+ | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Craig Cantrell (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
GAME NOTES | Tech vs. UT Martin
Tennessee Tech (6-6, 1-0) men's basketball continues the first homestand of OVC play against UT Martin (8-4, 0-1). The Golden Eagles opened conference play with an 85-74 victory over SEMO (5-7, 0-1), snapping a two-game losing skid against the Redhawks.
Dani Pounds led the team in scoring with a career-high 22 points on a career-high 14-17 from the free-throw line. It was his fourth straight game in double-digits, shooting 24-41 (58.5 percent) during that span. He surpassed his previous high (21 pts at West Ga.) in the performance on Thursday.
Pounds led five scorers in double figures with Mekhi Cameron (12 pts), Brandon Muntu (12 pts), Ty Owns (12 pts), and Malik Ferguson (11 pts) completing the balanced scoring. Tech went on a 13-5 run to end the first half and cut the once 14-point deficit to one point (35-34). In the second 20 minutes, it was all Golden Eagles as Tech ran away with 51-second half points and led by as much as 14 points about halfway through the second stanza.
The Golden Eagles improved to 40-24 all-time against SEMO and opened conference play with an 11-point win over the preseason No. 2 team in the conference.
AGAINST UT MARTIN
Tech won two of three in the season series over UT Martin in 2024-25 with two overtime wins and one three-point loss, 71-66 on Feb. 20, 89-85 on Jan. 25, and a 70-67 loss in the OVC Tournament to conclude the season. Overall, Tech leads the all-time series 43-21, and before going 2-3 in the last five games, TTU won four out of five matchups from 2022 to 2023. The Golden Eagles are 24-8 at home and 18-11 on the road against UT Martin all-time. These two teams have played to four overtime games, two of them coming last season, and the previous overtime games were in 2011 (3 OT, W, 109-105) and 1997 (W, 64-62). Tech is 4-0 in the extra session against UTM.
TEAM LEADERS
Forward Dani Pounds leads the team with 13.1 points per game, ranking 16th in the OVC in points per game.
Pounds is 10th in the conference in total points scored (157). Pounds is 13th in the OVC in total rebounds (62), averaging 5.2 reb/game (16th in OVC). Pounds is 5th in the OVC in free-throw percentage (84.1, 53-63), having attempted the most free throws in the conference. Pounds has scored double figures in four straight games and eight times this season (12 GP).
Mekhi Cameron is 23rd in the OVC in scoring, averaging 11.6 points per game, and 17th in the OVC in total points (139). Cameron has attempted the 8th most free throws in the OVC and is 9th in free throws made (37). 12th in free-throw percentage (75.5).
Brandon Muntu is sixth in the conference in three-pointers per game (2.0) and sixth in the OVC in three-pointers made (24).
Ty Owens leads the OVC in assists (52), dishing out 4.3 helpers per contest.
OPPONENT NOTES
UT Martin (8-4, 0-1) dropped its conference-opener 78-71 at Tennessee State on Thursday. In the contest, TSU won the field goal percentage battle (53.3%-40.7%). UTM forced 17 turnovers by TSU. TSU outscored UTM in the paint 38-36.
UTM grabbed an advantage in second-chance points (14-9) over TSU. UT Martin held a 37-32 lead at the halftime break before TSU outscored the SkyHawks 46-34 in the second half. Matas Deniusas led the SkyHawks in scoring with 17 points (6-16 FG, 5-7 FT). Andrija Bukumirovic and Filip Radakovic tied for second with 16 pts. Bukumirovic shot 7-14 from the field (2-7 3FG), and Radakovic shot 3-8 from the field and 10-12 from the line. It marked the 10th game in double digits for Bukumirovic this season.
Radakovic tied his season high with 16 pts and recorded his second straight game in double figures, marking his fifth game in double-digit scoring this season.
Bukumirovic leads the SkyHawks in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game. Matas Deniusas is second on the team with 13.9 points per contest, Dragos Lungu is third on the team with 13.8 ppg, and Radakovic is fourth on the team with 9.2 ppg.
UT Martin averages 75.5 ppg, while allowing 66.5 points per contest.
NEXT UP
The Golden Eagles will take a 10-day break for the Holidays and return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 30, against Tennessee State at Eblen Center. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.
PURCHASE TICKETS
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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