Tech falls to TSU 88-76 on Tuesday Night at Eblen Center
Tennessee Tech men’s basketball drops its second straight game, 88-76, against Tennessee State on Tuesday night at Hooper Eblen Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
44 | 44 | 88 |
|
|
33 | 43 | 76 |
Team Stats
Tennessee State
| Game Statistics | Tennessee State | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (34-70) | (30-57) |
| Field Goal % | 48.6% | 52.6% |
| Rebounds | 35 | 30 |
| Assists | 24 | 20 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 23 | 14 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 23 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 44 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 14 | 22 |
| Bench Pts | 13 | 37 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech men's basketball drops its second straight game, 88-76, against Tennessee State on Tuesday night at Hooper Eblen Center.
The Golden Eagles fall to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in OVC with the 12-point loss to the Tigers, who sit at 8-5 overall and 2-1 in conference action. Tech will face a quick turnaround on the road against Little Rock to continue OVC action on New Year's Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. Little Rock is 4-9 overall, 1-1 in OVC, and has been idle since taking down Williams Baptist 98-84 on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
JaJuan Nicholls led TTU in scoring with 19 points on 9-of-9 shooting with five rebounds in 21 minutes on the floor. Nicholls was perfect from the floor for the first time this season; his previous top shooting percentage was 10-of-11 (90.9%) against Virginia Lynchburg (22 points) on Nov. 10. He scored in double-digits for the first time since recording 13 at Georgia on Nov. 29.
Nicholls recorded his fifth game in double digits so far this season. He has shot 50.0 percent or greater from the field in 12 of 14 games played this season. It's the first time this season that a Golden Eagle has shot 100 percent from the field with a minimum of nine shot attempts. The nine made shots are the second most in a single game this season, sitting behind his own effort (10) against Va. Lynchburg. He has recorded 141 total points this season, which, through 14 games, is well on its way to besting his career-best 195 points a season ago (23 games).
The Golden Eagles had a solid night shooting, going 13-of-29 from the field in the first half (44.8%) and 17-of-28 from the hardwood (60.7%) in the second half to finish 52.6 percent (30-57) for the game. Outshooting TSU 52.6-48.6 percent.
TTU's largest lead was seven with 11:21 remaining in the first half, but a 14-0 run by TSU (8:01, 1st) erased the advantage and put the visitors up 11 at the halftime break, 44-33.
Tech was outrebounded 35-30 and committed more turnovers than TSU (15-11), allowing the Tigers to stretch the lead to as much as 21 with 9:53 left in the second half.
Despite outshooting the Tigers, the Golden Eagles couldn't rally from the first-half deficit and fell by 12.
Malik Ferguson made his first collegiate start and recorded his second game in double-digits with the Golden Eagles, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including two made threes. He fell one point shy of his season high (11 pts vs. SEMO, Dec. 18). Ferguson has shot 66.7 percent (4-of-6) in both of his double-digit games this season.
The Golden Eagles finished with just two players in double digits as Dani Pounds finished with eight (3-7 FG), and Mekhi Cameron posted eight points (3-7 FG). Ty Owens added seven points and three assists, and Mekhi Turner had a thunderous dunk late in the game on his way to seven points.
Tech allowed 23 points off 11 turnovers and managed just 14 points on 15 turnovers by TSU. The Golden Eagles were outscored 23-7 on second-chance points, but held advantages 44-32 in the paint, 22-14 in fast break, and 37-13 from the bench.
TSU held the lead for 33:05, and Tech grasped the advantage for 5:58. There were three lead changes, and the game was tied just once.
NEXT UP
Tennessee Tech travels to Little Rock on Thursday, Jan. 1, to ring in the new year against the Trojans at 5 p.m. CT. Watch live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
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