Tech women trounce Lipscomb - Cookeville Herald Citizen

BY BEN CRAVEN

The Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team picked up another big win Saturday as the Golden Eagles routed Lipscomb 78-58 inside the Hooper Eblen Center.

The win improves Tech to 6-4 overall with one game left in December before Ohio Valley Conference play begins in early January.

“It’s good to be back at home,” TTU head coach Kim Rosamond said. “A 5-week road trip is not ideal, but I’m proud of our players and how they’ve handled that stretch. I think we’ve grown and gotten better, and this is one of the better games we’ve played on both ends of the floor.

“I liked our balance offensively. We had a lot of players step up and do a lot of different things. This was a good win over a tough opponent, going into the Christmas break.”

The Golden Eagles got the win by building a small lead in the first half and running away with it in the second. In the third quarter, Tech pushed its 6-point halftime lead out to double-digits and never looked back.

A 3-pointer from Megan Clark helped the Golden Eagles cap a 12-4 run and push their lead out to 14 points at 48-34. Lipscomb was able to cut the deficit back under 10, but late threes from Clark and Abby Buckner put Tech’s lead at 12 points (42-54) going into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, Tech continued to step on the gas pedal, outscoring Lipscomb 24-16. Jordan Brock added the final touch as a deep, contested 3-pointer with 31 seconds left gave the Golden Eagles their final 20-point lead.

“Part of our recent inconsistency has been in the third quarter,” Rosamond said. “We haven’t been coming out of halftime with enough focus on both ends of the floor. Our players were very attuned to that today. We shot the ball decently well from the three with 43 percent in the third quarter. Making shots always helps, but we were also able to make some stops and get out in transition.”

In the first half, the Golden Eagles had a hot first quarter and held on to a 36-30 lead at halftime.

After Tech started the game on a 7-2 run, Lipscomb went on a 9-2 run to take an 11-9 lead. However, Tech turned it right back around in a big way with an 19-4 run to take a 13-point lead at 28-15.

Lipscomb had one last stride in the first half, outscoring Tech 15-8 in the last six minutes to cut the deficit in half.

The Golden Eagles held Lipscomb to just 37 percent shooting in the game, compared to their own 42. The Golden Eagles also shot 34 percent from behind the arc, dished out 18 assists, and out rebounded Lipscomb 46-30.

Anacia Wilkinson led Tech with a double-double as she scored 16 points and dished out a team-high 11 rebounds. Kesha Brady also pulled down 10 rebounds, while Brock made three triples and added 13 points. Akia Harris led the assists with nine.

“We were doing a good job of getting the ball inside and out,” Wilkinson said. “(Lipscomb) was doubling down on the post, but whenever I wasn’t able to make a move, I was able to kick out to my guards for an open shot.”

Up next, Tech hosts Tennessee Wesleyan next Sunday at 2 p.m.