Season Stakes Rise as Tech Men’s Hoops Travels to UT Martin, SEMO
Tennessee Tech men's basketball hits the road to UT Martin and SEMO with OVC Tournament hopes on the line in a pivotal weekend slate. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Watch live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
22 | 27 | 49 |
|
|
23 | 41 | 64 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
36 | 37 | 73 |
|
|
34 | 55 | 89 |
Team Stats
UT Martin
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | UT Martin |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (11-44) | (24-59) |
| Field Goal % | 25.0% | 40.7% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 37 |
| Assists | 7 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 10 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 10 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 6 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 12 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 9 |
| Bench Pts | 19 | 38 |
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Southeast Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (22-50) | (31-58) |
| Field Goal % | 44.0% | 53.4% |
| Rebounds | 25 | 29 |
| Assists | 9 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 8 | 4 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 4 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 5 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 30 | 46 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 5 | 19 |
| Bench Pts | 27 | 20 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
MARTIN, Tenn. / CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Tennessee Tech men's basketball hits the road to UT Martin and SEMO with OVC Tournament hopes on the line in a pivotal weekend slate. Opening tip at UT Martin is scheduled for 7:30 p.m and the matchup at SEMO is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. CT on Saturday. Watch both games live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
The Golden Eagles enter the weekend on a three-game winning streak, matching their longest of the season (3x) and sitting in 6th place in the OVC. The top eight make the conference tournament at the end of the season. It's a tough finish to the regular season with Tech facing two teams in the Top 4 of the conference standings in UT Martin (2/26) and SEMO (2/28) on the road.
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Thursday, Feb. 26 at UT Martin | 7:30 p.m. CT
Date & Time: Saturday, Feb. 28 at SEMO | 3:45 p.m. CT
Venues: Kathleen and Tom Elam Center (UT Martin) | Show Me Center (SEMO)
Stream: ESPN+ | Davis Gregory (PxP) and Chris Brinkley (Analyst) - UT Martin (Thursday, Feb. 26)
Stream: ESPN+ | Erik Sean (PxP) - SEMO (Saturday, Feb. 28)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
Tennessee Tech Men's Basketball Game Notes
LAST GAME
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles rode a dominant second half and a career performance from Ty Owens to claim its third straight win, defeating Lindenwood Lions 72-57 on Saturday at the Eblen Center. Tech improves to 13-16 overall and 8-10 in OVC Play with a third straight win and revenge for a 89-68 loss at Lindenwood on Jan. 22. Lindenwood slips to 16-13 overall and 10-8 in conference play and has lost three in a row. The Golden Eagles get a huge win after honoring seniors Mekhi Cameron, Brandon Muntu, Ja'Quavian Florence, Grant Slatten, and Owen Varnado in pregame. Ty Owens poured in a career-high 16 points, knocking down 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc while adding six assists and three rebounds. He scored 16 of Tech's 41 second-half points as the Golden Eagles pulled away after halftime.
Owens poured in a career-high 16 points, knocking down 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc while adding six assists and three rebounds. He scored 16 of Tech's 41 second-half points as the Golden Eagles pulled away after halftime.
Tech led 31-29 at the break in a first half that featured 11 lead changes. Mekhi Cameron converted a layup with one second remaining before halftime to give the Golden Eagles the edge. The Golden Eagles took control early in the second half. Cameron opened the period with a 3-pointer, and Brandon Muntu followed with a triple to stretch the lead to 37-32. JaJuan Nicholls then flushed a dunk off a steal to cap the surge and push the advantage to seven.
After Lindenwood trimmed the deficit to 42-40, Tech responded with a decisive run. Nicholls converted multiple second-chance opportunities inside, and Ja'Quavian Florence scored off a turnover to extend the margin to eight. Owens delivered the knockout stretch midway through the half. He buried a 3-pointer off a turnover for a 56-48 lead, then added a jumper on the next trip to give Tech a 10-point cushion. He sealed the game at the free-throw line, converting a pair with 47 seconds remaining to make it 72-57.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: TTU leads 43-22 over UT Martin all-time.
Overall: TTU leads 40-24 over SEMO all-time.
OVC STANDINGS
TTU is sixth in the OVC Standings heading into the weekend, and with two wins would clinch a berth in the postseason tournament. The Golden Eagles would earn seventh with a pair of wins and the tiebreaker to finish above Little Rock in the standings, should they defeat both UT Martin and SEMO to close the season. That win over SEMO would also secure a season sweep over one of the top teams in the conference.
Currently, Tech is tied with Little Rock (8-10) but owns the tiebreaker with a better record against the top teams in the OVC. The Golden Eagles need at least a split of the final two games to put themselves in a solid position for a Tournament berth.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Fans can be sure to follow the Golden Eagles men's basketball team on X (@TTU_Basketball), Instagram (TTUMBB), and Facebook (TTU MBB) for all news, notes, and updates.
