Tech looks to tame the Tigers
December 31, 2012

Tech looks to tame the Tigers

The Golden Eagle women's basketball team will ring in the New Year in Memphis, Tennessee, wrapping up a six-game road trip against the Memphis Tigers. Tech is looking to pick up their third win in a row in non-conference action. Tip-off is slated for 12 p.m. CT.

Recap Box Score

 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Golden Eagle women's basketball team will ring in the New Year in Memphis, Tennessee, wrapping up a six-game road trip against the University of Memphis Tigers. Tech is looking to pick up their third win in a row in non-conference action. Tip-off is slated for 12 p.m. CT. 

Tennessee Tech (7-6, 1-0 OVC) vs. Memphis (7-5)
Monday, Dec. 31, 2012
12:00 p.m. CT
Elma Roane Fieldhouse - Memphis, Tenn. 

The Broadcasts
TV: none
Radio: Fox Sports Radio, 106.1 The Eagle (Roger Ealey)
Webcast: GoTigersGo
 Live Stats

Setting the Stage
 Tech jumped to a 1-0 record in the Ohio Valley Conference, but before getting into full swing of OVC action, the Golden Eagles take on one more non-conference opponent. The Purple and Gold have not played in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse since November 2007 when the Golden Eagles won 74-58. The Golden Eagles are 15-6 in the series against the Tigers, but are 5-1 in the fieldhouse, with their only loss occuring in 1977. 

The Golden Eagles are ending a six-game road trip, and are looking to kick-off the New Year on their first three-game win streak. The team has not won more than two games since their four-game win streak heading into the 2012 OVC Tournament. 

A Glance at the 2012-13 Golden Eagles
 The Golden Eagles kicked off the conference schedule in dominant fashion, downing the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 73-51 Saturday afternoon. Tech was led by Jala Harris with 16 points. Joining her in a balanced attack were three other athletes giving Tech four players scoring double-digits for the first time this season.  Joining Harris was Molly Heady with 13, Lashay Davis with 12,  and Diamond Henderson with 11. 

Shooting was the name of Tech's game as they shot 44% from the floor and 60% from behind the arc. The Golden Eagles have the highest field goal percentage in the OVC at .411 this season, and are shooting 36.5% from three-point land to lead the OVC.  

Tech's offense is balanced, but one thing that goes unmentioned is their ability to take care of the basketball. Tech is averaging 12.8 turnovers per game, which ranks them tenth in the nation. Harris had just one turnover in 25 minutes of play against Jacksonville State. Harris is also ranked in the top 100 in Division I for her 1.57 Assist-Turnover Ratio. 

Henderson continues to lead the Golden Eagle scorers, averaging 15.0 points per game and is five points shy of scoring 200 points this season. Harris is averaging 11.5 points and 1.7 assists per game. Davis consistently puts up 7.6 points per game, but adds a 1.6 assts and 1.9 steals per game. 

T'Keyah Williams leads the Golden Eagles with 5.9 rebounds per game and Molly Heady has taken over the four spot averaging 4.7 rebounds and 6.8 points per game. Mariah Dean has come off the bench and provided a spark for the Golden Eagles and has averaged 5.25 points in the past four games. 

Seniors Kellie Cook, Kylie Cook and Katherine Barker continue to lead by example, adding big buckets when needed off the bench. The Golden Eagles look to the trio for leadership as they are the only players to have played four years for Tech. 

A Look at the Tigers
 Memphis has mirrored the Golden Eagles for the first part of their season. The Tigers have two big scorers in their corner, Nicole Dickson and Ariel Hearn. The duo helped lead the Tigers to a big win over Missouri thanks to a buzzer beater by Dickson. Dickson is averaging 20.1 points per game and Hearn is averaging 14.3 points per game. 

The Tigers and Tech have played one common opponent in the 2012-13 season, in-state rival Middle Tennesse State. The Tigers lost to MTSU 82-68 in Murfreesboro, and Tech lost 65-59 in Cookeville. 

Series History
 This will be the 22nd meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Tigers with Tech holding a 15-6 advantage.  In their last contest, the Tigers stole a road win in Cookeville 63-61 thanks to a pair of free-throws. 

The Golden Eagles and the Tigers have met six times in post-season play and the Purple and Gold are 4-2 in tournament action against Memphis. 

For complete game notes, please click here.