Golden Eagle women face Southern Indiana in nationally televised contest Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It’ll be a showdown on a national stage on Saturday as the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team takes on Southern Indiana live on ESPNU. Tipoff is set for 1:05 PM with a potential slide from other games in action. Dylan Vazzano will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Dorian Craft and Tabitha Turner will handle broadcast duties on ESPNU.
GAME NOTES | Game 25 -- at Southern Indiana | PDF
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It'll be a showdown on a national stage on Saturday as the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team takes on Southern Indiana live on ESPNU.
Tipoff is set for 1:05 PM with a potential slide from other games in action. Dylan Vazzano will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Dorian Craft and Tabitha Turner will handle broadcast duties on ESPNU.
The last time the two teams met, the game was close with the Golden Eagles scoring two more points in the first, USI scored two more points in the third and both teams equally in the even quarters as Reghan Grimes tied the game with just 12 seconds in regulation. The Screaming Eagles' Chloe Gannon missed a last-ditch layup to send the game to OT.
After Chloe Larry cut the USI lead to 70-69 with just seconds left in the extra period, Shannon Blacher hit the back end of her own set of free throws. With one last try, Reagan Hurst attempted a 3-pointer in front of the Tech bench, but it bounced off the rim to end the game 71-69 in favor of USI.
Larry had a then-career-high 23 points (she opened February with a new career-high 28 against Tennessee State), while LaReesha Cawthorn had the third of her seven double-doubles on the season with 14 points and 16 boards.
Ali Saunders led Southern Indiana with 23 points, while Gannon had 14 and Sophia Loden 12.
In the month since the two teams faced each other last, USI has gone 5-3 and currently stands in a second-place tie with Lindenwood in the Ohio Valley Conference race at 11-4 in league play. Western Illinois continues to hold on to a 13-3 perch at the top of the standings.
The Screaming Eagles average 70.8 points per game, while allowing 57.0 ppg. They shoot .410 from the field, .309 from 3-point range and .751 from the free-throw line. USI averages 5.7 3-pointers per game and 14.0 free throws made.
Saunders leads the team with a 17.7-point average and 96 assists, while Gannon is averaging 13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds with a team-best 30 blocks. Loden is averaging 10.9 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds. Blacher leads the team in steals.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles have gone 4-4 in the games since, but have won four of the last five. Tech broke its seven-game losing streak with a 72-47 win over Little Rock, then topped Tennessee State 68-49. Western Illinois took the 68-53 win in Cookeville, but the Golden Eagles rebounded with a 75-70 overtime win over Eastern Illinois and a 61-58 win over Morehead State on Thursday.
As a team, Tech (14-10, 7-8 OVC) is averaging 66.8 points on offense and 62.4 points on defense. The Golden Eagles are shooting .376 from the field, .318 from 3-point range and .711 from the stripe. Tech is averaging 6.7 3-pointers and 14.4 free throws a game.
Larry leads the team in average with 13.7 points, while Grimes (13.6 ppg) has the most points (326) and assists (67). Hurst is also averaging 12.0 points. Cawthorn, the reigning OVC Player and Freshman of the Week, is averaging 9.6 points per game and a team-best 10.2 rebounds, while also leading the team in blocks (29) and steals (42).
Following Saturday's nationally televised game, the Golden Eagles return home for the final regular-season contests in the Eblen Center as they host SIUE next Thursday and Lindenwood next Saturday for Senior Day.
Tickets for those games are on sale now by calling (931) 372-3940, visiting the Eblen Center ticket office or ordering online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
