Cook, Hayes lead Tech over first-place EKU by 28 points
The Golden Eagles shocked previously unbeaten and league-leading Eastern Kentucky Saturday night in Eblen Center behind early fireworks from Kellie Cook, building a 15-0 lead and cruising to a 75-47 Ohio Valley Conference victory.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech was a pretty rude host
considering the visitor was such a distinguished guest.
The Golden Eagles shocked previously unbeaten and league-leading
Eastern Kentucky Saturday night in Eblen Center behind early
fireworks from Kellie Cook, building a 15-0 lead and cruising to a
75-47 Ohio Valley Conference victory.
EKU, which brought a 5-0 OVC record into the contest, saw its
record slip to 8-7 overall and 5-1 in the league. Tech, which is
now 5-1 at home, improved to 7-8 overall and 2-3 in the
conference.
Cook, a freshman, led Tech with 23 points, hitting that career-high
mark for the third time this season. She finished the game with 23
points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore Tacarra Hayes, who posted a triple-double Thursday night,
threatened to repeat that rare feat Saturday. She finished with 18
points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Kylie Cook also achieved double figures with 13, and grabbed eight
rebounds as Tech completely dominated in rebounds, 52-26.
Talisha Davis was the lone EKU player to score in double digits,
netting 14. Alex Jones had nine points, five rebounds and four
steals and Cherie White added eight points and five rebounds.
Tech owned the backboards in the first half with a 27-8 lead in
rebounds, and used that to help take a 20-point lead (42-22) into
the dressing room at the intermission. Cook had 17 points in the
first half and Hayes had 10 at the break.
Cook scored the first 10 points on the game, including back-to-back
3-pointers. Hayes hit a jumper to make it 12-0, and Cook added her
third 3-pointer and the lead grew to 15-0 with less than four
minutes elapsed.
The Colonels pulled to within 10 points on a 3-pointer by Davis
with 7:52 to play, making it 26-16. A steal by Simone Rutledge led
to a jumper by Hayes and Katherine Barker grabbed an offensive
rebound and scored to take the lead back to 14.
Katy Cooke’s layup with 1:51 to play made it a 20-point
margin. With three seconds to go, Rachel Glidden launched a bomb
from about 26 feet that hit nothing but net and put Tech in control
by 20 at halftime.
The Colonels put together a brief rally early in the second half,
trimming their deficit from 20 down to 13 points. A jumper by
Brittany Coles with 13:13 remaining made it 44-31, but Hayes scored
three and Kylie Cook added a 3-pointer to rebuild the TTU advantage
to 19.
The difference reached 30 points with 2:07 to play on a 3-pointer
by Kylie Cook, making it 73-43. Tech was up by 30 after Kellie Cook
hit two free throws with 26 seconds to play, before Ashley
Pritchett’s jumper at the 14-second mark counted for the
final score.
The schedules bends toward the west next week as the Golden Eagles
face games at UT Martin Thursday and Murray State Saturday. Tech
returns home to Eblen Center on January 21 to host Austin Peay in a
doubleheader.
Tickets for all Tech home games are available at the Athletics
Ticket Office in Eblen Center, or by calling (931) 372-3940.
TECH NOTES: One of the Cook sisters had had a huge
first half in each of Tech’s last three games. At EIU, Kellie
had 17 at the break, and Thursday night against Morehead State
Kylie scored 15 by halftime…Tech made 10 3-pointers against
EKU after hitting 11 against Morehead State on
Thursday…sophomore transfer Alison West Mason scored the
first points of her TTU career, knocking down a 3-pointer in the
second half. She also grabbed three rebounds in five minutes of
play.
