Post play, Henderson lead Tech to OVC win over Tigers
Tennessee Tech led nearly the entire second half, but had to fend off a valiant rally in the final minute by Tennessee State as the Golden Eagles earned a pivotal 79-75 Ohio Valley Conference victory in Eblen Center Monday night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
37 | 38 | 75 |
|
|
39 | 40 | 79 |
Team Stats
Tennessee State
| Game Statistics | Tennessee State | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (28-64) | (27-49) |
| Field Goal % | 43.8% | 55.1% |
| Rebounds | 29 | 33 |
| Assists | 17 | 14 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 19 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 20 | 23 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 17 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 13 | 5 |
| Bench Pts | 38 | 13 |
By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports
Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech led nearly the entire
second half, but had to fend off a valiant rally in the final
minute by Tennessee State as the Golden Eagles earned a pivotal
79-75 Ohio Valley Conference victory in Eblen Center Monday
night.
Strong play in the paint keyed the victory, led by seven blocked
shots from Kayla Brewer and
a career-high 20 points from Candace
Parson.
Locked in a tight race in the league's East Division, Tech
(9-14/6-4 OVC) improved to 5-1 at home in conference play while
staying within a half-game of first place. It was Tech's ninth
victory in a row over the Tigers.
Tennessee State (8-14/5-4 OVC) was denied a chance to win three
consecutive games for the first time this season.
Junior Diamond
Henderson led all scorers with 25 points for the Golden Eagles,
and added six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a stellar
all-around effort. Parson added a career-high 20 points on 8-for-13
shooting from the field.
While they were the only two Golden Eagles to score in double
digits, several teammates chipped in with key numbers. Molly Heady added
nine points and four assists, Brewer had nine rebounds and a
career-best seven blocked shots, and Catherine
Taylor notched six points, five rebounds and a career-best four
assists.
Sophomore Mariah Dean,
making her first career start, chipped in with six points, two
steals and a blocked shot.
Four Tigers reached double figures, topped by Brianna Lawrence
with 19 while hitting 5-for-8 from outside the arc. Rachel Allen
and Chelsea Hudson each recorded double-doubles. Allen had 12
points and 10 assists, while Hudson added 11 points and 10
rebounds. Imani Davis finished with 10 points.
The Golden Eagles sizzled in the second half, shooting 61.9
percent (13-for-21) from the field to finish the contest hitting a
season-best 55.1 percent.
That effort helped Tech pull out to a 12-point lead when Parson
scored a layup with 5:43 to go for a 69-57 count.
Trailing by 10 with 3:10 to go, Allen and Lawrence each hit
3-pointers as the Tigers went on a 10-3 run to pull within three
points, 76-73, with 27 seconds left. Two free throws by Parson with
23 seconds left made it five, a layup by Davis cut it back to three
with 17 seconds left, and Hannah
Goolsby's free throw with 16 seconds accounted for the final
margin.
Down four, the Tigers stole the ball with 10 seconds remaining but
missed a layup and Taylor snatched the rebound that allowed the
Golden Eagles to run out the final ticks.
Tennessee State led pretty much the entire first 15 minutes of
the game, and the Golden Eagles had the edge the final five minutes
of the first half, taking a 39-37 lead into the break. The Tigers
led by as many as seven early on, 10-3, before Tech caught up and
took a lead with 4:18 to play on a bucket by Parson. Tech's largest
lead of the first half was five points, at 33-28, with 2:47
remaining.
The Golden Eagles face a light week of action, with just one game
in the next 12 days. On Saturday, Tech will visit Jacksonville
State for a 2 p.m. contest, the second game of a doubleheader
following a men's 11 a.m. battle.
Fans who don't make the journey to the game can follow the action
via the live broadcast on the Golden Eagle Sports Network. The game
will also be streamed live on the OVC Digital Network, and live
stats will be provided by JSU.
Tech's next home game isn't until Saturday, Feb. 15, when Morehead
State visits for a doubleheader, with several special events
planned.
