HALDEMAN, Ky. (Interstat) — In a tense Ohio Valley Conference rematch defined by defensive grit and a pivotal third-quarter surge, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles avenged a narrow loss from earlier this season by holding off the Morehead State Eagles 61-58 on Thursday night at E.T. Johnson Arena.

The game, played before a crowd of 1,028, was a defensive struggle from the outset. Both teams combined for 37 turnovers, with Morehead State generating 27 points off those miscues compared to Tennessee Tech’s 10. The Golden Eagles, however, countered by dominating the glass, particularly on the defensive end, to limit the Eagles’ second-chance opportunities and secure the road victory.

Tennessee Tech improved to 14-9 overall, while Morehead State fell to 15-11.

The contest was a low-scoring, physical affair through the first half. Tennessee Tech built a 29-25 lead at halftime, but the game was truly decided in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles erupted for 23 points in the period, their highest-scoring quarter of the night, spearheaded by the backcourt duo of Reagan Hurst and Reghan Grimes. Their offensive burst stretched the lead to as many as 11 points, creating a cushion that proved vital down the stretch.

Morehead State, refusing to wilt on its home floor, mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth quarter. The Eagles chipped away at the deficit, leveraging their pressure defense to force Tennessee Tech into a series of late turnovers. A critical sequence saw Morehead State’s Landon Forbes and Violet McNece hit clutch three-pointers in the final minute, pulling the Eagles within a single possession.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final 17 seconds. Clinging to a 56-53 lead, Tennessee Tech’s Chloe Larry was fouled and sent to the free-throw line. She calmly sank both attempts to push the lead to five. McNece answered immediately for Morehead State, draining a three-pointer with 17 seconds left to make it 58-56.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Morehead State’s pressure forced a turnover, and McNece converted a layup to tie the game at 58 with just six seconds remaining. The Golden Eagles, facing the prospect of overtime or a last-second loss, advanced the ball quickly. Grimes was fouled on a drive with five-tenths of a second left. The junior guard from Nashville, Tennessee, stepped to the line and sank both free throws under immense pressure to reclaim the lead.

Morehead State’s desperation heave from beyond half-court was off target, sealing the three-point win for Tennessee Tech.

Reghan Grimes led the Golden Eagles with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, adding four assists and a crucial late block. Reagan Hurst, a guard from Baxter, Tennessee, provided a game-high 21 points. LaReesha Cawthorn contributed seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

Morehead State was led by Landon Forbes of Wichita, Kansas, who scored 18 points. Violet McNece of Chesterfield, Missouri, added 11 points, all in the second half, including the two critical late three-pointers. Kate Dike of Kyiv, Ukraine, also scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.

The victory gave Tennessee Tech a season split with Morehead State, which had won the first meeting 67-66 on Jan. 17 in Cookeville. The Golden Eagles will look to build on the win when they travel to face Southern Indiana on Saturday. Morehead State will host Tennessee State on the same day.