November 29, 2008

Tech swarms Warhawks en route to a 108-70 win in Eblen Center

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Junior Frank Davis finally was cooled off with just over four minutes to go after hitting his first six 3-point attempts in helping the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team to a 38-point win Saturday afternoon over the visiting Warhawks from Louisiana-Monroe, 108-70.

Davis led seven different Golden Eagles into double digits with 22 points. All five starters for Tech reach the two-number points total as Tech improved to 4-1.

In fact, seven different players were in double figures for Tech. In addition to the 22 from Frank Davis, Will Barnes had 13, sophomore Alex Davis and freshman Zach Bailey scored 12 each, and Dj Lindsay, Alfred Jones and Ra'Shun Bryant added 10 apiece.

"We played hard on both ends of the floor," said head coach Mike Sutton. "We gave up 11 turnovers which is something we need to work on."

The first half saw Tech jump out to an early 12-2 lead and extended it to as much as 13 half-way through the opening period. The Warhawks brought it to the closest they would get the rest of the game with just under nine minutes in the opening half with a free throw by Brandon Williams.

The Golden Eagles took their largest lead of the half into the locker room at 50-29.

Davis scored eight of his 22 points in the first half while fellow junior Will Barnes led during the intermission with 11 points. Freshman Alfred Jones, Jr., who was making the first start of his career, was the leading rebounder with five.

The second half picked up where the first half left off for Tech. While scoring basket for basket for the first five minutes when play resumed, Tech began to pull away at 10:33 left to play with one of Davis' three-pointers.

Freshman Riley Hunley scored on a jumper with just under a minute left to give Tech its largest lead of the game at 38 before the two teams traded baskets at the end which gave Tech its largest win since the Golden Eagles opening game of the 2006-07 season when they downed Bluefield 110-69.

Tech (4-1) remains atop the OVC with the win. The Golden Eagles will host Lipscomb on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m., in a return match from earlier this season when Tech downed the Bisons in Nashville, 83-72.