Golden Eagles Basketball - 2001-02 Game Recaps

Game #1
TENNESSEE 72, TECH 63 (November 16 in Knoxville)
Tennessee Tech raced to a 10-0 lead to open the game and shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, but the Golden Eagles couldn't sustain that pace in falling to the University of Tennessee, 72-63, Friday night in both team's season opener at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers battled back to take a two-point (35-33) lead by halftime, and took advantage of poor shooting by the Golden Eagles to escape with the victory before 13,945 fans. Tech shot 29 percent in the second half while the Volunteers were connecting on 50 percent of their second-half shots. UT shot 45.5 percent for the game, while Tech finished with 38.7 percent for the contest. Vincent Yarbrough led UT with 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Theydeus Holden added 15 points and Brandon Crump came off the bench to net 12. Tech got 17 points from Leigh Gayden, who was 6-for-11 from the field including 5-for-9 from long range. Brent Jolly scored 16 points, while Damien Kinloch opened his Tech career with 12 points and a game-best 12 rebounds. Tech owned a 41-31 edge in rebounds, but Tech was guilty of 21 turnovers.

Game #2
TECH 79, S. Carolina State 65 (November 20 in Cookeville)
Tennessee Tech used a late first-half surge Tuesday night to break open a close game with South Carolina State University and roll on for a 79-65 victory over the Bulldogs in the Golden Eagles' regular season home opener. The win improves Tech's record to 1-1 on the year, while South Carolina State falls to 0-1. The Golden Eagles outscored the Bulldogs 23-10 over the final 10 minutes of the opening period to widen their margin from 18-14 to 41-24 at the intermission. Tech shot 46 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, including five 3-pointers. The second half was a lot closer as the Bulldogs battled valiantly to keep their hosts within striking distance. Tech's largest margin of the second period was 21 at 54-33 with 13:16 remaining in the game. SCS cut the Tech margin to as low as 12 on two different occasions before the final horn sounded. Junior Damien Kinloch led the Golden Eagles with double-double numbers of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Brent Jolly added 14 points and three assists, while fellow junior Leigh Gayden scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds. Sophomore Jason Harrell came off the bench to get seven points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Tech won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Bulldogs, 41-36. Willie Jones led South Carolina State with 16 points. Dexter Hall added 14 and LaRon Mapp chipped in with 13. Luis Radford had 10 points and eight rebounds. Tech's next game will be Saturday, November 24, when Bluefield College comes to Cookeville. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Game #3
TECH 87, Bluefield College 49 (November 24 in Cookeville)
The Tennessee Tech bench came through for the Golden Eagles in a big way Saturday night as the "Super Subs" tallied 47 points, including career highs from Cameron Crisp (15 points) and Antwyon Jones (14 points), in an 87-49 rout of visiting Bluefield College. The Golden Eagles improved to 2-1 on the year. With the game tied at 12 with 12:13 remaining in the first period, the Golden Eagles went on a 15-4 run to make it 27-16 with 5:27 remaining and closed out the period by outscoring the Ramblin' Rams 16-11 to take a 43-27 advantage to the locker room. Tech continued to increase its lead in the final 20 minutes of play leading by 23 points, 54-31, with 14:57 on the clock and by 34 points, 71-37, with 6:37 remaining in the game. Damien Kinloch had another good performance for the Golden Eagles, earning his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in only 18 minutes of play. Joey Westmoreland added eight points and seven rebounds, while Brent Jolly had eight points and three assists. The Golden Eagles shot 49 percent from the field, hitting on 31 of 63 attempts. Bluefield, which was led in scoring by Dale Evans with 19 points, hit 19 of 52 attempts from the field for 36 percent. Tech won the battle of the boards, grabbing 45 caroms to Bluefield's 27. Tech's next game will be Tuesday, November 27, when Loyola University comes to visit Cookeville. The game, scheduled as the Golden Eagles' annual Poster/Trading Card Night, will begin at 7 p.m.

Game #4
TECH 87, Loyola University 76 (November 27 in Cookeville)
Junior Damien Kinloch scored six of his 24 points in the final five minutes Tuesday night to help the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles hold off a talented Loyola University team, 87-76. The victory, Tech's third in four games this season, avenged a 76-73 loss last season in Chicago. With Tech leading 67-62 and 4:52 remaining in the game Tuesday, Kinloch nailed two free throws to make it 69-62. And after DeAntoine Beasley canned a couple of charity tosses, Kinloch came back to make two of his own and push the Tech lead to 73-62 with 3:44 showing on the clock. Loyola cut the margin to nine at 83-74 with :28 seconds to go, but the Tech big man from Charleston, S.C. promptly nailed two more free throws to seal the game for the Golden Eagles. Tech closed out the game on a dunk by Jason Harrell, who scored five points in the final Golden Eagle surge. Kinloch completed his fourth double-double of the season with 14 rebounds. Leigh Gayden added 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from long range and Harrell chipped in with 19 points and eight rebounds. Tech shot 57 percent from the field and a blistering 46 percent from long range. Loyola came on in the second half to end up shooting 42 percent from the field. The Golden Eagles won the battle of the boards for the fourth consecutive game, outrebounding the Ramblers, 40-31. David Bailey led Loyola, now 1-2, with 23 points, four rebounds, fives assists and four steals. Tech hits the road for a contest at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, December 1. The game will start at 6 p.m. CST.

Game #5
TECH 86, Eastern Michigan 79 (December 1 in Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Junior Leigh Gayden poured in 21 points and made five steals and sophomore Jason Harrell came off the bench to contribute 20 as Tennessee Tech won its fourth in a row, an 86-79 come-from-behind road victory at Eastern Michigan University Saturday night in Ypsilanti. Trailing 41-37 at halftime, Tech fought back from a nine-point deficit in the second half to move into the lead in the final five minutes. Brent Jolly, who hit a crucial 3-pointer down the stretch, also scored in double figures with 13 points and led Tech with five assists. The Golden Eagles also got nine points from DeAntoine Beasley, while Damien Kinloch added eight points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots, and Joey Westmoreland had eight points and seven boards. Eastern Michigan was paced by sharpshooter Ricky Cottrill with 28 points, including 8-for-12 shooting from long range. Steve Pettyjohn had 17 points and eight rebounds for the host team, while Michael Ross added 13 points and seven assists. Both teams shot 49.1 percent from the field and were almost identical from 3-point range. Tech outscored EMU at the free throw line, hitting 20-for-26 compared with 9-for-12 by the home squad. The Golden Eagles also owned a 34-29 rebound edge. The Golden Eagles improved to 4-1 heading into Tuesday night's game in Eblen Center against Reinhardt College, while EMU fell to 1-4.

Game #6
TECH 109, Reinhardt College 49 (December 4 in Cookeville)
The Golden Eagles put six players in double figures Tuesday night, led by 18 points from Damien Kinloch, in a 109-49 rout of Reinhardt College. The victory, Tech's fifth in six games this year, was the third largest margin of victory in school history. Tech blew open a 40-26 game at the intermission by scoring 30 of the first 36 points in the second half en route to the final 60-point victory. The Golden Eagles led 70-32 with 11:05 remaining in the game and stretched their margin to 45 at 91-46 on a basket by Antwyon Jones with 3:46 left to play. Besides his 18 points, Kinloch had a stellar defensive game with nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Brent Jolly added 16 points, while Greg Morgan and Damien Perkins had 14 points each. Joey Westmoreland and Jason Harrell chipped in with 11 points apiece. Tech shot 63 percent from the field, hitting 43 of 68 attempts, including six-of-17 shooting from behind the arc. The Golden Eagles also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding their visitors 57-24. Reinhardt was led in scoring by Shae Blair with 19 points. Jason Bryant added 10 and Jesse Bowen chipped in with eight. As a team, Reinhardt shot 26 percent from the field, connecting on 11 of 28 attempts, including only seven baskets in the second half. Tech gets back to action on Saturday, December 8, when it begins a six-game roadswing with games at New Mexico, Louisville (Dec. 17), North Texas (Dec. 21), Air Force (Dec. 29), Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 3) and Morehead State (Jan. 5).

Game #7
New Mexico 87, TECH 80 (December 8 in Albuquerque)
Tennessee Tech owned a four-point lead at halftime but couldn't maintain it in the second half, falling 87-80 at the University of New Mexico Saturday night at "The Pit" in Albuquerque. Brent Jolly scored 20 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead four Golden Eagles in double figures in the loss which snapped a five-game winning streak and left Tech with a 5-2 overall record. Damien Kinloch added 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots, hitting 6-for-10 from the field. Jason Harrell managed 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals before fouling out, and point guard Leigh Gayden added 10 points and eight assists. New Mexico (5-3) also had four players score in double digits, topped by Patrick Dennehy's 16 points. Marlon Parmer added 15 points and six assists, while Ruben Douglas scored 12 and Chad Bell came off the bench to score 10. A crowd of 16,287 fans was watched nervously as the Golden Eagles took a 43-39 lead into halftime. Tech shot 52.2 percent in the first half, including 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from long range and 87 percent (13-for-15) from the line. Tech cooled off to 41.7 percent in the second half from the field, and managed just 3-for-11 from beyond the arc in the second period. New Mexico also took 26 free throws in the second half while Tech went to the line just eight times. The Golden Eagles owned a 35-29 edge in rebounds, but made 16 unforced turnovers.

Game #8
Louisville 70, TECH 66 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ Reece Gaines matched a career-high with six 3-pointers and scored 24 points to lead Louisville to a 70-66 win over Tennessee Tech on Monday night. Freshman Carlos Hurt scored 12 points and Ellis Myles added nine points and 15 rebounds for Louisville (7-1), which has won six straight. Sophomore Cameron Crisp scored a career-high 22 to lead Tennessee Tech (5-3). The Eagles led by as many as seven in the first half, but settled for a 37-36 halftime lead. Tennessee Tech outrebounded Louisville 19-18 in the first half, but Gaines scored eight of his 10 points in the final 9:38 before halftime to keep the Cardinals close. The Cardinals pushed the lead to six, but the Eagles fought to a 60-60 tie. Myles muscled in a basket with 2:44 left to give Louisville a 62-60 lead, but Leigh Gayden rattled in a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining to put Tennessee Tech back on top. Bryant Northern missed a free throw, but Larry O'Bannon tipped it in with 1:30 left to restore Louisville's one-point lead. Northern made a free throw with 1:02 left, but Damine Kinloch sank one with 51 seconds left to keep Tennessee Tech within one. On Louisville's next possession, Gaines shed Joey Westmoreland at the top of the key and sank his last 3-pointer with 17 seconds left. Erik Brown was called for goaltending on a Crisp shot with 6.7 seconds left to cut the lead to 68-66, but Brown hit two free throws with 5.7 seconds left to seal the win.

Game #9
North Texas 89, TECH 83 DENTON, Texas (AP) _ Jerome Rogers scored 18 points to help lead North Texas to a 89-83 win over Tennessee Tech on Friday night. Five players scored in double digits for North Texas, including 17 points from Chris Davis and 16 points each from Jermaine Green and Kenneth Mangrum. Green also was the lead rebounder for North Texas with 9. Leonard Hopkins added 15 points for the Mean Green. North Texas (3-6) outscored Tennessee Tech 52-41 in the second half to overcome a 42-37 halftime deficit. Cameron Crisp, with 20 points, was the leading scorer for Tennessee Tech (5-4). Greg Morgan had 14.

Game #10
TECH 64, Air Force 44 AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) _ Damien Kinloch scored 17 points to lead Tennessee Tech to a 64-44 win at Air Force Saturday. Brent Jolly and Jason Harrell each scored 11 points and Joey Westmoreland snagged 10 rebounds as Tennessee Tech (6-4) snapped a three-game losing streak. Lamoni Yazzie lead Air Force (5-6) with 11 points. Tennessee Tech built an early 20-4 lead and led 27-16 at the half. The Falcons never got closer. Tennessee Tech got the win without guard Leigh Gayden, who sat out with a broken hand. Gayden had been averaging 12.1 points per game. Air Force was without guard Robert Todd, who has been suspended indefinitely for an undisclosed violation of team standards. Todd had been averaging 7.1 points per game.

Game #11
TECH 90, Eastern Kentucky 61 (January 3 in Richmond, Ky.)
Tennessee Tech blew open a 14-point lead at intermission by scoring 53 points in the final 20 minutes and securing a 90-61 victory over Eastern Kentucky University Thursday night. The victory improved Tech's overall record to 7-4 and 1-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Eastern Kentucky fell to 3-10 overall and 0-1 in the conference. Tech was led in scoring by Jason Harrell with 20 points. Damien Kinloch chipped in with 14 points and eight rebounds. Joey Westmoreland and Cameron Crisp added 10 points apiece. Crisp also tied a career high with nine assists. Greg Morgan scored nine points off the bench. Antwyon Jones added eight points and eight rebounds, while Brent Jolly hit three of seven shots from the field for eight points. As a team, Tech shot 54 percent from the field, connecting on 32 of 59 shots. The Golden Eagles made 10 shots from long range and 16 of 24 free throws. Ben Rushing led Eastern Kentucky with 16 points. Michael Haney added 12 points and Spanky Parks chipped in with 11. The Colonels were held to 31 percent shooting from the field (18 of 57). The Golden Eagles get back to the action on Saturday, January 5, at Morehead State University.

Game #12
TECH 81, Morehead St. 78 (January 5 in Morehead, Ky.)
Sophomore Cameron Crisp nailed a 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game Saturday night to give the the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles an 81-78 victory at Morehead State University. With the score tied at 78 and time running out, Crisp nailed a trey from the corner to give Tech the lead for good. Morehead State's Ricky Minard missed a desperation shot at the buzzer. Crisp led the Golden Eagles with 22 points and four assists. Junior Damien Kinloch scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Jason Harrell came off the bench to score 12 points and grab five rebounds. Tech, now 8-4 overall and 2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, shot 52 percent from the field on 29-of-55 shooting. The Golden Eagles hit 11 of 25 shots from long range for 44 percent and connected on 12 of 15 free throws for a blistering 80 percent. Tech's Joey Westmoreland had nine points and seven rebounds, while Greg Morgan and DeAntoine Beasley scored seven points each. Morehead State, now 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference, was led by Minard with 34 points. Chez Marks added 14 points for the hosts. The MSU Eagles shot 53 percent from the field (29-54), including 16-of-26 shooting in the second half. The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles will hit the floor again on Thursday, January 10, when the Murray State Racers visit the Eblen Center. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Game #13
TECH 78, Murray St. 59 (January 10 in Cookeville, TN.) -
Damien Kinloch scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds Thursday night to lead the Golden Eagles to a 78-59 victory over Murray State University. Tech, now 9-4 overall and 3-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, got 13 points each from Greg Morgan and Cameron Crisp. Morgan, who leads the conference in field goal percentage with .630, was 5-for-5 from the field and Crisp, who has stepped up his play a level in the last four games, led the Purple and Gold with eight assists. The Golden Eagles led their visitors 33-26 at the intermission and extended that lead to as many as 24 points in the second half before sealing the victory with a 78-59 final. As a team, Tech shot 54 percent from the field on 28-of-51 shooting. Tech, outrebounded for the first time all season, got seven caroms from Joey Westmoreland and six from Jason Harrell. Cuthbert Victor led Murray State with 18 points and eight rebounds. Justin Burdine came off the bench to get 12 points and Antonio Henderson added 10. The Racers, 8-7 overall and 2-1 in the OVC, shot 36 percent from the field, hitting 26 of 71 attempts. The victory set a Tech school record for most consecutive home wins at 19. The Golden Eagles go out of the conference on Saturday, January 12, when King College visits the Eblen Center. The tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Game #14
TECH 92, King College 57 (January 12 in Cookeville )
Damien Kinloch led a total of 10 Golden Eagles in scoring Saturday night with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Tech's 92-57 victory over visiting King College. The victory, Tech's 10th in 14 games this season, was the Golden Eagles' 20th consecutive win in the Eblen Center. Cameron Crisp chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Golden Eagles, while Jason Harrell came off the bench to added 12 points. As a team, Tech shot 54 percent from the field, connecting on 38 of 70 attempts. The Golden Eagles also shot 43 percent (10-23) from behind the arc. Tech outrebounded King College, 41-28. The King College Tornado was led in scoring by John Sproles with 15 points and Lucas McClain chipped in 12. As a team, the Tornado shot 37 percent from the field, connecting on 21 of 56 shots. The Golden Eagles couldn't put pesky King College away in the first 20 minutes of the game as the Tornado kept hanging around and trailed by seven , 34-27, as the two teams left the floor at intermission. But the Golden Eagles rallied and outscored King 58-30 in the second half to secure the easy win. The Golden Eagles will be back in action on Thursday, January 17, at Austin Peay State University. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. in Clarksville.

Game #15
TECH 74, Austin Peay 67 CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Damien Kinloch scored 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting as Tennessee Tech defeated Austin Peay 74-67 Thursday night. The Golden Eagles (11-4, 4-0) held off a late second-half surge to remain undefeated in Ohio Valley Conference play. Cameron Crisp extended Tennessee Tech's lead to 52-32 when he hit a 3-pointer with 14:46 remaining. From that point, the visiting Golden Eagles managed just 13 points over the next 13 minutes as Austin Peay (8-11, 3-2) cut the lead to five at 65-60 on a 3-pointer by Nick Stapleton with 1:44 left. The Governors came within three in the final minute when Josh Lewis hit a pair of free throws to make it 70-67 before Tennessee Tech hit four consecutive free throws to end the game. The Golden Eagles went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the final two minutes. Crisp added 15 points for Tech. Stapleton, who went 13-of-32 from the field, finished with 34 points. Adrian Henning had 12 for the Governors.

Game #16
TECH 83, Tennessee Martin 75 (January 21 in Cookeville, Tenn. )
Three players scored in double figures Monday night to help Tennessee Tech beat Tennessee-Martin 83-75 and remain unbeaten in the Ohio Valley Conference. Damien Kinloch led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds as Tech moved to 12-4 overall and 5-0 in the OVC. Jason Harrell came off the bench to tally 16 points and Brent Jolly broke out of a shooting slump with four 3-pointers and 15 points. Tennessee-Martin, now 12-6 overall and 4-2 in the conference, was led in scoring by Jair Peralta and Jeremy Sargeant with 18 points each. The Skyhawks took a 45-44 lead with 15:34 remaining in the game only to see the Golden Eagles come charging back. Tech took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Harrell to go up 47-45 with 15:17 remaining. Tech's largest lead of the game was 14 at 72-58 with 4:29 on the clock. As a team, Tech shot 56 percent from the field on 27-of-48 shooting. The Golden Eagles hit 41 percent (7-17) from long range and 71 percent (22-31) from the charity stripe. The Skyhawks shot 50.8 percent from the field, hitting 32 of 63 attempts. Tech hits the road for two games this week. The Golden Eagles will visit Southeast Missouri on Thursday, January 24, and Tennessee State on Saturday, January 26.

Game #17
TECH 75, SE Missouri St. 62 (January 24 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles had to use a second-half rally Thursday night to defeat the Southeast Missouri State University Indians, 75-62, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Golden Eagles, now 13-4 overall and 6-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference, scored 52 points in the final 20 minutes to erase a six-point deficit at the intermission and earn their eighth consecutive victory. Tech was led in scoring by the resurging Brent Jolly. The Sparta, Tenn. native hit four 3-pointers on the night to highlight a 21-point outing. Damien Kinloch added 15 points, while Jason Harrell added 12 and Cameron Crisp chipped in with 10. As a team, the Golden Eagles shot 49 percent, hitting 27 of 55 from the field, and 42 percent from long range, connecting on 10 of 21 3-pointers. Southeast Missouri, 3-15 and 1-6, was led in scoring by Tim Scheer with 22 points. Demarcus Hence added 16 points and Derek Winans chipped in with 11. As a team, the Indians shot 42 percent from the field on 23-of-54 shooting. The Golden Eagles will get back on the court on Saturday when they visit the Tigers of Tennessee State University. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Game #18
TECH 77, Tennessee State 68 (January 26 in Nashville, Tenn)
For the second consecutive game, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles had to use a second-half rally Saturday night to earn a big Ohio Valley Conference victory. Tech came back in the final period to garner a 77-68 victory over the Tennessee State University Tigers in Nashville. Tech, now 14-4 overall and 7-0 in the OVC, outscored Tennessee State 44-32 in the final 20 minutes to erase a three-point halftime deficit and secure the victory. The win gave the Golden Eagles their best start ever in the conference (7-0) and equaled them with the best overall start to a season since the 14-4 start of the 1955-56 campaign. Cameron Crisp, Jason Harrell and Damien Kinloch scored 14 points each to lead the Golden Eagles in the winning cause. Greg Morgan came off the bench for one of the best games of his career, earning 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal. Tech shot 55 percent from the field, hitting 22 of 40 attempts, and 46 percent from long range on 7-of-15 shooting. The Golden Eagles also won the battle of the boards, 31-25, with Crisp and Harrell leading the way with seven each. TSU, now 6-12 overall and 2-5 in the conference, were led in scoring by Garrett Richardson with 25 points. Kyle Rolston came off the bench to chip in with 19. As a team, the Tigers shot 44 percent from the field, including nine 3-pointers. The Golden Eagles return home to the Eblen Center for their next three games. Tech will host Eastern Illinois on January 31, Southeast Missouri on February 2 and Eastern Kentucky on February 4.

Game #19
TECH 97, Eastern Ill. 92 (January 31 in Cookeville)
Tennessee Tech converted 9-of-10 free throws in the final 38 seconds to hold on for a 97-92 victory over Eastern Illinois Thursday night, giving Tech its 22nd consecutive victory in Eblen Center. It was also the team's 10th win in a row, tying the school record for the longest winning streak and strengthened the Golden Eagles' (15-4) hold on first-place in the Ohio Valley Conference at 8-0. Tech built a 15-point lead at halftime and led by 18 when Brent Jolly opened the second half with a 3-pointer, but EIU used a 14-0 run to cut the margin and make a contest of it. The Panthers (13-9/5-3 OVC) trimmed the margin to two points twice in the final minute including 94-92 with seven seconds to play. A free throw by Jolly with five seconds left made it a three-point lead and Tech fouled Jason Wright with four seconds to go. When Wright missed the front of a one-and-one attempt, DeAntoine Beasley snared the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws for final margin. Tech shot 69 percent in the first half in rolling to its halftime lead, and finished with 63.3 percent accuracy including 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from long range. EIU shot 56 percent. Sophomore Cameron Crisp was 4-for-4 from long range and 7-for-10 overall from the field, equaling his career-high with 23 points, while Brent Jolly added 18. Damien Kinloch and Greg Morgan scored 15 points each and Jason Harrell netted 13. Henry Domercant, the nation's second-highest scorer, had 34 points for EIU while Craig Lewis added 16, J.R. Reynolds scored 14 and Wright added 11.

Game #20
TECH 82, SE Missouri St. 67 (February 2 in Cookeville)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles solidified their hold on first place in the Ohio Valley Conference Saturday night with an 82-67 victory over visiting Southeast Missouri State University. Tech, now 16-4 overall and 9-0 in the conference, was led in scoring by Greg Morgan with 16 points off the bench. Cameron Crisp chipped in with 13 points, while Brent Jolly added 12. Southeast Missouri rallied in the second half of action Saturday to chop away at Tech's 43-34 halftime lead and pull within three at 53-50 with 12:39 remaining in the game. But a basket by Joey Westmoreland made it 58-52 at the 10:29 mark and a 3-pointer by Brent Jolly, with 5:10 on the clock, pushed the Golden Eagle lead to 14 points at 69-55. Tech shot 53 percent from the field on 31-of-58 shooting, including seven buckets from long range. Monte Gordon and Derek Winans led the Indians, now 3-18 overall and 1-9 in the OVC, with 15 points each. DeMarcus Hence chipped in with 14 points and Brett Hale added 12. The Indians hit 43 percent from the field, connecting on 24 of 55 attempts. Tech won the battle of the boards for the 19th time in 20 outings this season. The Golden Eagles were led on the glass by Morgan's eight rebounds. Westmoreland had seven caroms, while Jason Harrell added five rebounds of his own. Saturday's win was the Golden Eagles' 11th consecutive victory of the season and their 23rd straight win at home in the Eblen Center. Tech heads back to the court on Monday, February 4, to battle the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels. The game is set for 7:30 p.m.

Game #21
TECH 71, Eastern Ky. 48 (February 4 in Cookeville)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles outscored Eastern Kentucky 24-1 over a 12-minute period en route to a 71-48 victory Monday night. The Golden Eagles, who've now won 12 consecutive games overall and 24 straight at home, led just 26-24 with 6:51 left before halftime, but then allowed Eastern Kentucky just one free throw until 14:49 of the second half. After the defensive onslaught, Tech led 50-26. The Golden Eagles improved to 17-4 and a perfect 10-0 in the OVC. TTU was led by Damien Kinloch with 15 points, while Cameron Crisp had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. The Golden Eagles handed out 19 assists - two above their average - with DeAntoine Beasley leading the way with six. Joey Westmoreland chipped in with nine points, six rebounds and four steals. Greg Morgan continued his hot shooting, going 3-for-5 for eight points. In the last three game, Morgan, the OVC's most accurate shooter, is 16-of-21. Eastern was led by Ben Rushing's 16 points. Rushing was 5-for-10 from three-point land, but the remainder of the Colonel lineup was 0-for-12 from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles shot 44 percent, while Eastern Kentucky shot 35 percent. The game turned rather sloppy in the second half. EKU shot just 30 percent and had 14 turnovers. Tech shot 38 percent but turned the ball over nine times. Tech and Murray State will do battle on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7: 30 p.m. at Murray, Ky.

Game #22
Murray St. 75, TECH 56 (February 7 in Murray, Ky.)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles found the going tough in just about every aspect of the game Thursday night as the Murray State Racers ended Tech's winning streak at 12 with a 75-56 win over the visiting Golden Eagles. TTU dropped to 17-5 and 10-1 in the OVC, meaning the league still won't have an unbeaten team by the end of the conference schedule. Tech shot an uncharacteristic 3-for-23 from three-point land and got outrebounded 48-36. The Golden Eagles trailed 12-3 early, but cut the deficit back to within 12-10. The Racers were too tough the rest of the way, however, as Murray blistered the nets, shooting 43 percent, and outpowered Tech on the boards. Tech was led by Damien Kinloch's 14 points and six rebounds, while DeAntoine Beasley (10 points) was the only other Golden Eagle in double figures. Justin Burdine, one of the OVC's best shooters, led the Racers with 29 points and five assists. Cuthbert Victor had 17 and James Singleton pulled down 13 rebounds. Tech shot just 32 percent from the floor for the game, but the Golden Eagles did manage to lead one statistical category - steals. Jason Harrell and Beasley each had four takeaways. Despite the loss, Tech still holds a two-game lead over the rest of its OVC foes. The Golden Eagles will look to get back to their winning ways Saturday at UT Martin. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m

Game #23
TECH 75, Tennessee Martin 68 (February 9 in Martin, Tenn.)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles withstood a furious second-half rally by UT Martin to hold on for a 75-68 OVC road win Saturday night. Tech led by as much as 17 in the first and second halves, but saw the Skyhawks' Jair Peralta get hot from three-point land during the second period and nearly bring his team back for an upset. The Golden Eagles, who were led by Cameron Crisp's 21 points and career-high 11 rebounds, improved to 18-5 and 11-1 in the OVC. Joey Westmoreland also played a vital role in the victory. The senior from Dalton, Ga., scored 15 points, pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double, and had two steals in 31 minutes. Damien Kinloch pitched in with 14 points and seven rebounds as Tech clung to a 42-28 advantage on the boards. Peralta scored 22 points for the Skyhawks (13-11, 5-7 OVC), including three consecutive treys in the second half during the UTM comeback. Okecki Egbe had 18. Tech built a 17-point lead (28-11) with 6:06 left in the first half, but saw the Skyhawks shave six points off that advantage for a 35-26 Golden Eagle lead at the intermission. The Golden Eagles ran the margin to 46-29 with 14 minutes left, but then Tech could only watch as UTM found the range from everywhere on the floor. Egbe scored five and Peralta knocked in 11 points, including three quick treys, as the Skyhawks cut it back to just four, at 57-53, with 7:34 left in the contest. Tech was able to build the lead back up to nine at one point and held on as UTM kept the game within reach. Free throws down the stretch proved to be the high-water mark for Tech as it held on for its 18th victory and 13th in the last 14 games. Tech will look to make it back-to-back wins on Tuesday, Feb. 12 when it hosts Morehead State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Game #24
TECH 75, Morehead St. 68 (February 12 in Cookeville)
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles outscored Morehead State 13-5 in the final three minutes of action Tuesday night to claim a 75-68 victory and clinch their second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship. The victory pushed the Golden Eagles to 19-5 overall and 12-1 in the conference. Morehead State, which came into the game in second place in the OVC with a 7-4 ledger, fell to 13-10 on the year and 7-5 in the conference. The victory was Tech's 25th consecutive home win. Damien Kinloch led the Golden Eagles to victory with 19 points and seven rebounds. The junior from Charleston, South Carolina also contributed two assists and two blocked shots. DeAntoine Beasley added 14 points, eight assists, one block and five steals. Joey Westmoreland chipped in with a strong 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and two thefts. Cameron Crisp added 12 points. As a team, the Golden Eagles shot 46 percent, hitting 23 of 49 shots from the field and a blistering 91 percent (22-24) from the charity stripe. Morehead State was led by sophomore Ricky Minard with 21 points and eight rebounds. Chez Marks chipped in with 16 points, while Marquis Sykes had eight points, nine assists and three steals. Morehead shot 50 percent from the field on 24-of-48 shooting and 50 percent from behind the arc (12-24). The Golden Eagles get back to the floor on Saturday when they host arch-rival Austin Peay on February 16 at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN.

Game #25
TECH 86, Austin Peay 84 2 OT In a game for the ages, the Golden Eagles ran their homecourt winning streak to 26 games Saturday afternoon with an 86-84 double-overtime win over the Austin Peay Governors on ESPN. Brent Jolly, who scored 17 points, hit two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to send the game to overtime, and Damien Kinloch hit what proved to be a tying free throw with 2:13 left in the first overtime. The teams were knotted at 76-76 after one overtime. Jolly was once again the hero in the second extra period, hitting a jumper with 20 seconds left to give Tech its 20th win of the season. The Golden Eagles won despite shooting just 37 percent for the game. Austin Peay shot 45 percent. Austin Peay opened the game on an 11-4 run after a technical foul was assessed for the "Blizzard" of Tech squares. Tech came back and led 35-34 at the break. Austin Peay led by as much as eight in the second period (46-38), but no more than three points separated the OVC rivals for the final 12 minutes. Austin Peay got into foul trouble and played a majority of the final overtime with just six eligible players after three fouled out. Tech's Damien Kinloch struggled somewhat from the floor, hitting 6-of-20, but the 6-8 big man led Tech with 19 points. Kinloch was also a major force on the glass with 11 rebounds. Tech held a 51-41 rebounding edge. Cameron Crisp kept Tech in it in the first half with 10 points and finished with 12 points and eight assists. Nick Stapleton led the Govs with 23 points. Anthony Davis had 21, and Josh Lewis scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. With the win, the Golden Eagles have now posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in the history of the program. The Golden Eagles wrap up the home slate Monday against Tennessee State.

Game #26
TECH 81, Tennessee State 66 (February 18 in Cookeville)
In a night filled with emotion, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles used all the emotion they could find Monday night to help them hold off a talented Tennessee State University team, 81-66, on Senior Night 2002. Tech used a 12-0 run in the final six minutes of the game to nail down the victory over the visiting Tigers. TSU had pulled to within three at 69-66 with 6:22 remaining on the clock. But that's when the Golden Eagle defense rallied to secure the victory. Damien Kinloch led the Golden Eagles, 21-5 on the year and 14-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference, with his second straight double-double, tallying 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year candidate also had one assist, one block and three steals. Jason Harrell added 17 points and eight rebounds, while DeAntoine Beasley chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Tech shot 50 percent from the field, hitting 29 of 58 attempts, including 37 percent (9-24) from long range. Tennessee State, now 11-15 overall and 7-8 in the conference, was led in scoring by Kyle Rolston with 31 points. Roshaun Bowens chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds. The Tigers shot 39 percent from the field. The victory, Tech's 26th consecutive home victory, set a record for the most wins in a season in the history of the Golden Eagle program. The Golden Eagles' 21 wins tops the previous record of 20 set during the 1946-47 and 2000-2001 seasons. Tech will close out the regular season on Saturday, February 23, at Eastern Illinois University. The tip is set for 7:15 p.m.