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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team shot 58.3 percent from the floor, including 72.7 percent in the second half, to hold off host Tennessee Tech Saturday night, 78-73. The Colonels (11-6, 4-2 OVC) have now defeated the Golden Eagles (7-9, 1-4) three straight times in the Eblen Center.

Four players finished in double figures for the Colonels led by junior Justin Stommes’ 22 points. The guard equaled a career-high with five three-pointers. Freshman Willie Cruz, making his first start of the season, was 8-for-8 from the field on the way to a personal-high 19 points. Senior Papa Oppong added 14 second half points while fellow senior Josh Taylor netted 15.

Frank Davis paced Tennessee Tech with 25 points, two shy of his career high, thanks to hitting 5-of-9 (55.5 percent) three-pointers. Meanwhile, Kevin Murphy chipped in with 13 points.

Eastern Kentucky never trailed in the game as the Colonels came out on fire from behind the arc, making six of their first nine long-range attempts, on the way to a 22-10 lead. Stommes capped the start with back-to-back trifectas.

The Golden Eagles responded with eight straight points of their own behind buckets from four different players to cut the deficit to four points, 22-18. Eastern Kentucky built the lead back up to nine points, 27-18, following a Taylor three-pointer, but TTU bounced back again to trail by only four at the half, 31-27.

Stommes’ fifth three-pointer stretched the EKU advantage back to 12 points five minutes into the second half, 48-36. However, three-pointers from Davis and Murphy quickly got Tennessee Tech to within two points, 50-48.

The two teams exchanged numerous three-pointers over the next several minutes until TTU’s Bassey Inameti’s lay-in with 3:12 left tied the score at 69-all.

Cruz netted two free throws on Eastern’s ensuing possession to keep the Colonels out in front. Following a Tennessee Tech turnover, Taylor calmly hit two more free throws to put EKU ahead, 73-69. Davis made another three-pointer to bring the Golden Eagles within one, but Stommes connected on a pull-up jumper with 1:57 left to make the score, 75-72.

A Cruz lay-up with 27 seconds remaining stretched the Colonel lead back to five points, 77-72, and all but sealed the win for Eastern Kentucky. The Colonel defense stepped up in the final 3:12, holding Tennessee Tech to just 1-of-4 (25 percent) shooting and forcing three turnovers.

Junior forward Spencer Perrin, who had started the previous 16 games, was suspended for tonight’s contest due to a violation of team rules.

Eastern Kentucky now returns home for a four game homestand which begins with OVC foe Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 14.