Men’s Basketball Returns Home to Take on Southern Indiana
Tennessee Tech men’s basketball returns to Hooper Eblen Center to take on Southern Indiana in the first of two home games on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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27 | 44 | 71 |
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27 | 27 | 54 |
Team Stats
Southern Indiana
| Game Statistics | Southern Indiana | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-71) | (21-60) |
| Field Goal % | 38.0% | 35.0% |
| Rebounds | 44 | 47 |
| Assists | 13 | 7 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 13 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 2 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 14 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 38 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 12 | 9 |
| Bench Pts | 43 | 33 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech men's basketball returns to Hooper Eblen Center to take on Southern Indiana in the first of two home games on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
The Golden Eagles improved to 7-10 overall and 2-4 in OVC play with a 59-54 win over Western Illinois on Saturday. Tech snapped a four-game losing skid with the comeback victory after trailing by eight at halftime. TTU won both meetings with Southern Indiana last season, grabbing a 68-64 win at home on Jan. 2, 2025, and 78-65 on the road Feb. 1, 2025, to move to 5-1 against USI all-time.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Tennessee Tech (7-10, 2-4 OVC) vs. Southern Indiana (3-13, 0-6 OVC)
Date & Time: Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Hooper Eblen Center
Watch: ESPN+ | Dylan Vazzano (PxP) and Steve Smith (Analyst)
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle | Noah McKay (PxP) and Frank Harrell (Analyst)
Purchase Tickets: TTU Basketball Tickets
Game Notes: TTU Men's Basketball Notes vs. Southern Indiana
LAST GAME
After scoring a season-low 18 points in the first half at Western Illinois, the Golden Eagles rallied with 41 second-half points to secure a five-point victory (59-54) on the road Saturday, Jan. 10.
Leading the way for Tech was Mekhi Cameron with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting, 1-of-3 from three, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Cameron recorded his 10th game in double figures this season and first since dropping 19 on UT Martin on Dec. 20. Three key steals by Cameron led the Golden Eagles in that category.
Tech finished with three players in double figures, with Dani Pounds adding 11 points and Malik Ferguson chipping in with 11 on the way to a pivotal win.
The Golden Eagles outscored the Leathernecks 41-28 in the second half, led by 10 points from Pounds and Cameron on 57.1 percent shooting (16-28).
SCORING LEADERS
Mekhi Cameron made a pair of huge buckets late in the win over WIU, including a layup to put the Golden Eagles up seven points en route to a five-point win. He leads the team with 11.5 points per game, which is in the Top 25 in the OVC. Brandon Muntu is 9th in the OVC in three-pointers per game (1.9), leading the team. Cameron makes 1.5 three-pointers per contest (13th in OVC). Tech as a team is fifth, averaging 75.9 points per game and fifth in FG percentage (45.4) in the OVC.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
Dani Pounds leads the team with 81 total rebounds and 4.8 boards per game. Pounds is in the Top 25 within the OVC. He has either tied for the team rebound lead or led the team in boards in six of 17 games played this season.
FREE THROW LEADERS
Two Golden Eagles are in the Top 20 within the OVC in free throw percentage with Cameron (9th; 79.0%) and Pounds (11th; 78.4%).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: TTU leads series 5-1
In Cookeville: TTU leads 2-1
In Evansville: TTU leads 3-0
Neutral sites: 0-0
Current Streak: TTU won 2
Last Meeting: TTU won 78-65 in Evansville (Feb. 1, 2025)
OPPONENT NOTES
Southern Indiana (3-13, 0-6) has lost eight straight games, including six straight in OVC play. Most recently, USI fell 73-56 to UT Martin on Jan. 10 at home. The Screaming Eagles (3-13, 0-6 OVC) fell twice at Liberty Arena last week. USI, which has lost its last eight, was stopped by Southeast Missouri State, 84-76, and UT Martin, 73-56. Senior guard Ismail Habib and junior guard Amaree Brown led the way with 16 points per game each.
For the season, Habib has been posting 16.5 points per game to lead USI in scoring. Senior guard Cardell Bailey is second on the team in scoring with 14.1 points per contest this season and is averaging 16.1 points per outing in the last nine games.
NEXT UP
After Thursday night's contest against Southern Indiana, the Golden Eagles welcome Morehead State to Eblen Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m. CT.
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 news, notes, and updates.
