Who’s Playing
Western Illinois Leathernecks @ Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Current Records: Western Illinois 15-10, Tennessee Tech 9-17
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Hooper Eblen Arena — Cookeville, Tennessee
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
Western Illinois has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles will face off in an Ohio Valley battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Hooper Eblen Arena.
The point spread may have favored Western Illinois last Saturday, but the final result did not. They fell just short of the Skyhawks by a score of 62-59. That’s two games in a row now that Western Illinois has lost by exactly three points.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Tech’s and the Tigers’ matchup on Tuesday was close at halftime, but the Golden Eagles turned on the heat in the second half with 43 points. Everything went the Golden Eagles’ way against the Tigers as the Golden Eagles made off with a 70-50 victory. The win made it back-to-back wins for Tennessee Tech.
The Leathernecks’ loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 15-10. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the defeats came by an average of only 2.33 points. As for the Golden Eagles, their victory bumped their record up to 9-17.
Thursday’s matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Western Illinois have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 42.4 rebounds per game (they’re ranked third in rebounds per game overall). It’s a different story for Tennessee Tech, though, as they’ve been averaging only 30.5 rebounds per game. Given Western Illinois’ sizable advantage in that area, the Golden Eagles will need to find a way to close that gap.
