Four in double figures lift Golden Eagles to 79-64 win over Gamecocks
Tennessee Tech used a huge rebounding advantage and margin at the free throw line to claim a 78-64 OVC victory over Jacksonville State Saturday night in Eblen Center. Jud Dillard's ninth double-double of the season led the Golden Eagles.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
24 | 40 | 64 |
|
|
25 | 53 | 78 |
Team Stats
Jacksonville State
| Game Statistics | Jacksonville State | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-49) | (22-44) |
| Field Goal % | 51.0% | 50.0% |
| Rebounds | 19 | 36 |
| Assists | 12 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 17 | 23 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 17 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 26 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 29 | 15 |
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Locked in a tight contest throughout the
first half and early second, Tennessee Tech rallied midway in the
second period to gain a 16-point lead, and the Golden Eagles held
on to claim a 78-64 Ohio Valley Conference victory Saturday night
over Jacksonville State in Eblen Center.
Senior Jud
Dillard went 14-for-14 at the free throw line and scored 18
points while nabbing 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the
season. Junior Dennis Ogbe also
notched 18 points along with grabbing six boards as the Golden
Eagles owned a 36-19 advantage on the glass.
Junior point guard Jeremiah
Samarrippas added 15 points and four steals, and Javon McKay also
reached double figures with 10 points, his highest output since the
season opener.
Junior Brian Williams led the Gamecocks with 22 points and four assists, while senior Tarvin Gaines added 15, senior Ronnie Boggs scored nine and grabbed six rebounds, and senior Rinaldo Mafra added eight.
Tech's homecourt win avenged a 21-point loss at Jacksonville in December. The Golden Eagles improved to 9-14 overall and 3-8 within the OVC as they fight for a playoff spot in the March 6-9 Tournament field.
Jacksonville State's record slipped to 15-8 overall and 7-5 in the league.
The largest lead of the first half was a five-point Golden Eagle
advantage, 7-2 very early on the contest. Tech was able to go up by
four on two other occasions, but for much of the period the two
teams were within a single basket. At the break, Tech was up by
one, 25-24.
In the second half, Tech's 16-point margin was trimmed to 10
points with six minutes to play when JSU head coach James Green was
charged with two technical fouls and ejected while arguing a call
on an aggressive foul under the Tech basket. JSU players were
charged with a personal and a technical on the play that led to
Green's ejection.
The Golden Eagles made seven of eight free throws from the
incident and rebuilt their lead to 17.
A dunk by McKay made it a 19-point bulge, Tech's largest lead of
the contest, with 5:36 to play before the Gamecocks tried to mount
a comeback. They pulled within eight, 66-58, with 1:44 to play on a
3-pointer by Williams but Tech was able to answer down the stretch
by hitting 12-for-14 at the charity line.
The real difference in the game came midway in the second half
when Tech went from a 33-30 lead to a 45-30 advantage with a 12-0
run. Six different players contributed points in the run, capped by
a layup from Jud Dillard with 11:04 to play.
Next up for the Golden Eagles is the team's annual trip to "Death
Valley" with games at Eastern Kentucky Thursday and Morehead State
Saturday.
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