EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — On a night where offensive efficiency and paint dominance told the story, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles avenged an earlier loss and snapped a brief skid with an 82-74 victory over the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday.

A crowd of 1,769 at the Physical Activities Center saw the Golden Eagles (11-16, 4-8) use a decisive 48-28 advantage in points in the paint and a superior shooting performance to pull away in the second half and hand the struggling Screaming Eagles (5-20, 2-10) their eighth consecutive defeat.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded early in the second half. Leading 35-32 at halftime, Tennessee Tech saw Southern Indiana storm out of the locker room with a 10-3 run, fueled by six quick points from Amaree Brown and an alley-oop dunk from Tolu Samuels, to take a 42-38 lead. The Golden Eagles, however, responded with immediate composure. A layup by Brandon Muntu halted the surge, and over the next four minutes, Tennessee Tech embarked on a game-defining 12-3 run of its own. The stretch was powered by interior scoring from JaJuan Nicholls and Dani Pounds, along with a crucial three-pointer from Mekhi Cameron, reclaiming a 50-45 lead they would not relinquish.

Southern Indiana managed to tie the game at 50 on a Brown three-pointer with 13:55 remaining, but the Golden Eagles answered with seven straight points. A driving layup by C.J. McPherson, followed by a three from Cameron and another McPherson basket, pushed the lead to 57-50 and forced a Southern Indiana timeout. The Screaming Eagles could never draw closer than four points the rest of the way, as Tennessee Tech consistently answered every basket with one of its own, often in the restricted area.

The statistical sheet underscored Tennessee Tech’s control. The Golden Eagles shot 54.4% from the field (31 of 57), while Southern Indiana was held to 41.1% (23 of 56). Though the Screaming Eagles hit a higher percentage from three-point range (8 of 18, 44.4%) compared to Tennessee Tech’s 5 of 15 (33.3%), it was not enough to offset the disparity inside. Tennessee Tech also won the efficiency battle, posting an offensive rating of 122.3 points per 100 possessions against Southern Indiana’s 110.7, despite both teams having 67 possessions.

McPherson led a balanced Tennessee Tech attack with 15 points. He was joined in double figures by Ty Owens with 13 points and three assists, Cameron with 15 points, Nicholls with 15 points and a block, and Pounds with 14 points, two blocks, and a game-high nine rebounds. The Golden Eagles shared the ball sparingly, recording only two assists, but their individual ability to create and finish shots, particularly near the rim, proved sufficient.

Southern Indiana was led by Ismail Habib’s 17 points and four assists. Brown added 15 points, while Ola Ajiboye contributed 10 points and went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. Samuels also finished with 10 points. The Screaming Eagles were more active defensively, recording six steals and six blocks to Tennessee Tech’s two and four, respectively, but their 8-of-18 shooting from three-point range and 20-of-27 performance from the charity stripe could not compensate for their struggles to contain the Golden Eagles’ interior offense.

The victory marked a reversal of fortune from the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 15, a 71-54 Southern Indiana win in Cookeville. It also halted Tennessee Tech’s two-game losing streak, while extending Southern Indiana’s misery in a season that has seen them win just twice since late December.

Both teams continue OVC play on Thursday. Tennessee Tech returns home to host SIU Edwardsville, while Southern Indiana travels to face Western Illinois.