Tech women welcome in Southern Indiana Thursday
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s good to be back home. After a tough start to January, the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team is back in the Hooper Eblen Center, ready to get back to business. However, Southern Indiana isn’t going to make defending the Golden Eagles’ 27-game home winning streak easy when the two lock horns on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM. Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Noah McKay and Frank Harrell will describe the action on 106.1 The Eagle.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
14 | 13 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 71 |
|
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16 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 69 |
Team Stats
Southern Indiana
| Game Statistics | Southern Indiana | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (24-55) | (24-72) |
| Field Goal % | 43.6% | 33.3% |
| Rebounds | 39 | 44 |
| Assists | 14 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 21 | 18 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 17 | 18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 6 | 20 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 13 | 11 |
| Bench Pts | 7 | 8 |
GAME NOTES | Game 16 vs. Southern Indiana | PDF
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's good to be back home. After a tough start to January, the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team is back in the Hooper Eblen Center, ready to get back to business.
However, Southern Indiana isn't going to make defending the Golden Eagles' 27-game home winning streak easy when the two lock horns on Thursday night.
Tipoff is set for 5:30 PM. Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Noah McKay and Frank Harrell will describe the action on 106.1 The Eagle.
Thursday is also Academic Excellence Night with free admission for K-12 kids with free face painting and balloon art. The University's Honor Roll student-athletes will be recognized at halftime of the men's game.
The first three games of January have not gone Tech's way with Little Rock taking a 51-44 victory, Eastern Illinois escaping with a 75-74 win and Western Illinois claiming a 77-60 edge. It's the first three-game losing streak for Tech since losing the first four games of the 2023-24 season and the first three-game OVC losing streak since the 2019-20 campaign.
But home has been kind for Tech as the Golden Eagles are 9-0 at The Hoop this season and have not lost a home game since Feb. 3, 2024, going 17-0 against Ohio Valley Conference competition in that stretch.
Now, after falling to 3-3 in league play, Tech (10-5 overall) is standing in a tie for sixth with UT Martin, standing 2.5 games back from Western Illinois (14-2, 6-1 OVC after picking up a win over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday night) and two games back from Southern Indiana.
Lindenwood, Morehead State and Little Rock are all three square at 4-2 in league play.
Southern Indiana comes into Thursday's contest with an 11-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the conference. The lone loss came Jan. 3 on the road at Lindenwood with the Lions recording a 75-65 victory, while the Screaming Eagles have soared high in their victories, beating Little Rock by 17, Morehead State by 19, SIUE by 15, Southeast Missouri by 31 and UT Martin by nine.
As a team, USI is averaging 70.5 points on offense and 54.0 points on defense. The team is shooting .409 from the field, .299 from 3-point range and .736 from the free-throw line. The Screaming Eagles are averaging 5.7 3-pointers and 12.8 free throws made per game.
Ali Saunders leads the team in scoring with a 16.4-point average, while also leading the squad in assists with 57. Sophia Loden is averaging 12.2 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds, while Chloe Gannon is averaging 12.0 points. Shannon Blacher leads the team in steals with 43.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles are averaging 68.1 points on offense and 62.3 on defense. Tech is shooting .382 from the field, .334 from long-range and .687 from the stripe. Tech is averaging 6.9 made 3-pointers and 15.2 made free throws.
Reghan Grimes leads the team with a 14.7-point average, while also posting a team-best 38 assists. Chloe Larry is averaging 12.0 points, Reagan Hurst 11.9 and Cam Mathews 10.6, while LaReesha Cawthorn leads the team with a 9.0-rebound per game average, as well as 17 blocks and 24 steals.
Following Thursday's game against Southern Indiana, the Golden Eagles will then host Morehead State Saturday at 1 PM.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
