Women's Basketball welcomes in-state rival to Eblen Center
January 6, 2013

Women's Basketball welcomes in-state rival to Eblen Center

The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will take on the Tigers of Tennessee State Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles are one of two unbeaten teams in the OVC and are looking to remain perfect after the in-state match-up.

Recap Box Score

 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team will take on the Tigers of Tennessee State Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles are one of two unbeaten teams in the OVC and are looking to remain perfect after the in-state match-up.

Tennessee Tech (8-7, 2-0 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (5-8, 1-1 OVC)
Monday, Jan. 7, 2013
7:00 p.m. CT
Eblen Center - Cookeville, Tenn. 

The Broadcasts
TV: WCTE (Buddy Pearson, Bill Worrell)
Radio: Fox Sports Radio, 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey)
Webcast: OVC Digital Network
 Live Stats

 

Setting the Stage
 Tech (8-7, 2-0) hosts Tennessee State in Ohio Valley Conference action at 7 p.m. Monday at the Eblen Center, looking to remain unbeaten in the conference.

Tech is coming off a 58-52 win over newcomer Belmont Jan. 5 - a game where the Golden Eagles led by as much as 11 in the first half, and seven in the second. Tennessee State dropped its OVC opener at the hands of the other undefeated team, Eastern Illinois out of the West Division Saturday, Dec, 29.

Tech and Tennessee State have a storied history. Tech holds a 48-10 advantage, and the Golden Eagles have not lost their last five meetings. The last time the Tigers entered the Eblen Center, they gave the Purple and Gold a run for their money. The Golden Eagles went into halftime with a 41-36 lead, never trailing in the first half, but came out and battled for the win for the remaining 20 minutes. Tennessee State took the lead early in the second half, with the Golden Eagles trailing by three before Tech took over and never looked back. The Lady Tigers were able to keep it close, but the Golden Eagles flew away with a 80-71 victory.

A Glance at the 2012-13 Golden Eagles
 With conference action in full swing, the Golden Eagles are seeing some new players emerge as go-to scorers. In OVC play, Diamond Henderson and Jala Harris are each averaging 14 points, but it's Molly Heady, who is averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game that has taken her spotlight on the stage. The junior is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor and is 100 percent from behind the arc.

With elevated play from three key teammates, the Golden Eagles have been pushing their game to all new levels. The Purple and Gold are averaging 65.5 points per game in conference action,  and shooting 42 percent from the floor.

Despite their outstanding shooting from three-point land, the Golden Eagles are seeing more action from their post play. T'Keyah Williams has gone to work in the paint, and scored 13 points against Belmont (1/5) and grabbed six rebounds. Mariah Dean has also seen an increase in playing time since the trip to New York in December. Dean is contriuting two rebounds and 2.1 points per game.

A Look at the Lady Tigers
 Tennessee State (5-8, 1-1 OVC) is coming off a 88-68 win over Jacksonville State. The Lady Tigers are led by three scorers, none averging more than 10 points per game. Kesi Hess, Jasmin Shuler and Simone Hopes leads their team with 9.8, 9.6 and 8.8 points per game respectively. Hopes also leads the Lady Tigers with 6.7 rebounds per game.

Tennessee State averages 35.3, 9.9 assists, and 10 steals per game. The Lady Tigers are coached by Larry Joe Inman, who is in his first season at the helm of Tennessee State.

Series History
 The Lady Tigers and the Golden Eagles have played each other twice a year since TSU joined the OVC in 1986. The Golden Eagles have rarely lost, but there was a stretch from 2008-2010, where the Purple and Gold lost three in a row. Three members of the senior class: Kellie Cook, Kyllie Cook and Katherine Baker have a 5-1 record against the Lady Tigers, and are hoping to graduate with only one blemish from their freshman season. 

Tech holds a 48-10 series record over the Lady Tigers, and won in their last meeting in Nashville 78-66.

For complete game notes, please click here.