Tech Men's Basketball Battles back but Falls 61-59 to West Georgia
Tennessee Tech (2-3, 0-0) made an 11-0 run and cut it to a one-point game late, but fell 61-59 to West Georgia (3-2, 0-0) on Monday night at Eblen Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
33 | 28 | 61 |
|
|
27 | 32 | 59 |
Team Stats
West Ga.
| Game Statistics | West Ga. | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (20-61) | (20-49) |
| Field Goal % | 32.8% | 40.8% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 36 |
| Assists | 7 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 14 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 20 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 5 | 15 |
| Bench Pts | 17 | 25 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech (2-3, 0-0) made an 11-0 run and cut it to a one-point game late, but fell 61-59 to West Georgia (3-2, 0-0) on Monday night at Eblen Center.
The Golden Eagles fall to 2-3 on the season and lose their first home game of the year, failing to come back late, 61-59. TTU trailed by as much as 14 in the contest, but an 11-0 run put the Golden Eagles right in contention.
Tech's rally was in large part due to holding West Georgia without a field goal over the final 3:12. A made front end of the one-and-a-half-court heave as time expired by Ty Owens hit off glass and sent the Golden Eagles to their first loss at home this season.
TTU outscored West Georgia 32-28 in the second half, led by 17 points from Dani Pounds, nine from JaJuan Nicholls, and eight from Ja'Quavian Florence.
UWG made one of its last 11 shots over the final three-plus minutes, including 0-for-4 from the field during that span, allowing Tech to battle its way back into it.
Tech outshot UWG 41% to 33%, making 20-of-49 from the field but struggling from three-point range, shooting just 2-of-20 from distance.
West Georgia made just nine shots of 31 attempts in the second half (29.0) and committed eight turnovers, while Tech sank 10 shots on 28 attempts and gave up the ball five times. Pounds scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half on 3-of-4 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Pounds was the only Golden Eagle in double-digits, while the Wolves had three players with double-figure scoring.
Chas Lewless and Shelton Williams-Dryden led the way with 19 points apiece for West Georgia. Josh Smith finished with 15 points.
Pounds became the fifth different Golden Eagle to lead the team in scoring in five games this season. He has scored in double figures in back-to-back games (11 vs. Berea and 17 vs. West Ga.), bringing his points per game to 10.2.
Florence finished 3-of-6 from the field for eight points, making 2-of-2 from the free-throw line over 19 minutes. Mekhi Cameron finished with six points on just 1-of-6 from the field, a three-pointer (1-3 3FG), and 3-of-5 from the free-throw stripe. It marks the first game this season that Cameron hasn't scored in double digits.
Tennessee Tech falls at home for the first time this season, and West Georgia grabs its first road win of the year.
NEXT UP: The Golden Eagles travel to USC Upstate on Wednesday, Nov. 19, to face the Spartans with a 6 p.m. CT tip. The game can be watched on ESPN+ and listened to on 106.1 The Eagle.
PURCHASE TICKETS: Tickets for Tennessee Tech Men's Basketball are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or order online at TTUsports.com.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Fans can be sure to follow the Golden Eagles men's basketball team on X (@TTU_Basketball), Instagram (TTUMBB), and Facebook (TTU MBB) for all of the news, notes, and updates.
