Tennessee Tech Finishes Road Trip at Western Illinois
Tennessee Tech faces Western Illinois to cap its road trip through Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 10. Opening jump is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. Watch live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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18 | 41 | 59 |
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26 | 28 | 54 |
Team Stats
Western Illinois
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Western Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (24-57) | (19-45) |
| Field Goal % | 42.1% | 42.2% |
| Rebounds | 31 | 35 |
| Assists | 3 | 5 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 14 | 9 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 40 | 24 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 12 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 17 | 7 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
MACOMB, Ill. – Tennessee Tech faces Western Illinois to cap its road trip through Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 10. Opening jump is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. Watch live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
The Golden Eagles (6-10, 1-4 OVC) dropped their fourth straight game after holding a seven-point lead at the half at Eastern Illinois to open the trip through Illinois with a 71-61 loss. Tech will look to bounce back against Western Illinois (4-12, 0-5 OVC), which is coming off a loss to Tennessee State on Thursday night.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Tennessee Tech (6-10, 1-4 OVC) at Western Illinois (4-12, 0-5 OVC)
Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 10 | 3:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Western Hall
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
Game Notes: Tennessee Tech Notes vs. Western Illinois
TECH NOTES
The Golden Eagles fall to 6-10 overall and 1-4 in OVC play with the 71-61 loss at Eastern Illinois on Thursday night.
Tennessee Tech has lost four straight heading into this matchup with Western Illinois. WIU has dropped five in a row and enters the contest 0-5 in OVC play, after falling to Tennessee State (90-68) on Thursday night.
Tech dropped both meetings during the 2024-25 season and has lost three in a row to WIU. The Golden Eagles are 0-2 all-time at the Leathernecks. Overall, Tech is 1-4 in the short series history.
The Golden Eagles (6-10, 1-4 OVC) drop their fourth straight game with the 10-point loss after leading by seven through 20 minutes of play. EIU snaps its two-game losing skid with the win and improves to 2-3 in the conference and 5-10 overall.
In the loss on Thursday, Jah'Kim Payne led the Golden Eagles with a career-high 11 points, all in the first half, shooting 3-of-5 from the field, all threes, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Mekhi Turner was the second Golden Eagle in double figures with 10 points on 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Turner records his third game in double digits this season, after scoring 16 at Georgia and 20 against Va. Lynchburg.
Mekhi Cameron leads the Golden Eagles with 11.3 points per game, Dani Pounds is second with 10.9 ppg, and Brandon Muntu is third with 10.3 ppg to lead the fourth-highest scoring offense in the OVC (76.9 ppg).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: TTU trails 1-4
In Cookeville: TTU trails 1-2
In Macomb, Ill: TTU trails 0-2
Neutral sites: 0-0
Current Streak: WIU has won three straight
Last Meeting: WIU won 82-69 in Cookeville (Feb. 27, 2025)
OPPONENT NOTES
Western Illinois is 0-5 in conference play and 4-12 overall on the season, after dropping its most recent contest 90-68 to Tennessee State on Thursday at home. The Leathernecks hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, including 2-0 at home and 2-1 on the road.
Marko Maletic leads the Leathernecks with 16.4 points per contest, Ryan Myers is second with 13.0 ppg, and Sean Smith is the third WIU player in double figures with 10.5 points per game. WIU averages just 66.0 points per contest, which is 10th in the OVC (11 teams). WIU has a -9.1 scoring margin on the season, allowing 75.1 points per game while scoring 66.
Overall, WIU shoots 44.0 percent from the field while allowing 43.7 percent shooting from its opponents.
NEXT UP
Following the road trip to Illinois, the Golden Eagles return to Eblen Center on Jan. 15 against Southern Indiana with the opening tip scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.
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