Tennessee Tech Opens OVC Play with 85-74 win over SEMO
Tennessee Tech opens OVC play 1-0 with an 85-74 win over SEMO on Thursday at Eblen Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
35 | 39 | 74 |
|
|
34 | 51 | 85 |
Team Stats
Southeast Missouri
| Game Statistics | Southeast Missouri | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (21-60) | (22-50) |
| Field Goal % | 35.0% | 44.0% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 36 |
| Assists | 9 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 9 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 21 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 22 | 30 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 14 | 25 |
| Bench Pts | 32 | 24 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech opens OVC play 1-0 with an 85-74 win over SEMO on Thursday at Eblen Center.
The Golden Eagles (6-6, 1-0) trailed by as much as 10 in the first half but rallied to take the victory with a 51-point second-half opening conference play with a victory over SEMO. The Golden Eagles have won three straight for the first time this season, pulling their record to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in the OVC. Tech hosts UT Martin on Saturday, looking for a conference-opening sweep.
SEMO was picked to finish second in the OVC preseason poll, but finished second to Tech on this night as five players scored in double figures, with Dani Pounds (22 pts) leading the way. He was joined by Mekhi Cameron (12 pts), Brandon Muntu (12 pts), Ty Owens (12 pts), and Malik Ferguson (11 pts), who led the Golden Eagles to an 11-point win.
The Golden Eagles made 35-of-42 attempts (83.3%) from the line. The 42 free throws marked a season high for the team.
14 of Pounds' career-high 22 points came from the free-throw line on 17 attempts. Pounds was second on the team with six rebounds. Seven of Cameron's 12 points were from the charity stripe, going 7-of-9 from the line. Cameron, despite making only two shots from the field (2-9), found other ways to contribute, leading the team with seven rebounds.
Pound for Pounds ��
— TTU Men's Basketball (@TTU_Basketball) December 19, 2025
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Muntu shot 4-of-5 from the field with two three-pointers and made 2-of-2 from the line for his 12 points. Owens shot 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from distance while draining 5-of-6 from the free-throw stripe.
The Golden Eagles shot 44.0 percent (22-50) from the field, including 40.0 percent from beyond the arc (6-15), along with making a season-high 35 free throws.
SEMO won the battle of the boards 38-36, but Tech dished out more assists 12-9, recorded more steals 7-6, more blocks 6-5, and forced more turnovers 14-11. Nine different players grabbed at least two rebounds.
TTU trailed for 18:42 and by as much as 10 with 12:43 left in the first half, but a 9-0 run with 2:16 left in the first 20 minutes lifted the Golden Eagles back within one point at the break, 35-34. Tech cut into the deficit with a 13-5 run to end the first half.
In the second half, the Golden Eagles outshot the Redhawks 52.0 percent to 31.3 percent as the defense helped push the home team in front. SEMO made only 10 shots (32 attempts) in the second half, compared to Tech's 13 made buckets on 25 attempts.
Tech held the lead for 19:42, and its biggest advantage was 14 with 10:19 left in the second half. The Golden Eagles outscored the Redhawks 30-22 in the paint, 15-9 off turnovers, and 25-14 on fast breaks.
There were four lead changes, and the score was tied four times.
NEXT UP
The Golden Eagles welcome UT Martin (8-4, 0-1) to Eblen Center on Saturday, Dec. 20. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. CT. Watch live on ESPN+ and listen on 106.1 The Eagle.
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