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RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior Josh Daniel came off the bench to record career-highs in points (17) and assists (three) to spark the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team to a 76-58 win over Tennessee Tech Thursday night in McBrayer Arena. With the win, the Colonels (16-8, 8-4 OVC) completed the season sweep over the Golden Eagles (12-11, 6-6).

Daniel also connected on a career-high four of EKU’s 13 three-pointers. Senior Papa Oppong drained three trifectas as well to pace the Colonels with 19 points. Junior Justin Stommes contributed with 12 points while senior Josh Taylor led EKU with seven rebounds and four steals.

The Colonels out-rebounded TTU, 32-26, and improved to 4-0 in games in which they finish with more rebounds than the opposition. The Golden Eagles, who had won four straight games entering tonight’s contest, grabbed only two offensive rebounds the entire night.

Kevin Murphy paced TTU with 16 points and seven rebounds while Elijah Muhammad tallied 14 points and a team-best three assists. The Colonels held Frank Davis, who scored 25 points in the first meeting against Eastern, to just five points on 0-for-2 shooting from three-point range.

Both teams started slow offensively as TTU led by a score of just 8-7 at the 12:53 mark of the first half. However, Daniel emerged from the bench and connected on the Colonels’ first two three-pointers of the game to quickly vault EKU to a 13-8 advantage. The Colonels would not trail again.

Daniel’s shooting touch was contagious as Taylor and Oppong then connected on threes to stretch the Colonels’ lead to 21-13 with 6:49 remaining in the first half.

Sophomore Joshua Jones got into the act with a trifecta from the corner three minutes later, and Stommes ended the half with a shot-clock-beating three from the wing that sent EKU into the locker room up, 39-23.

The Colonels connected on 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) three-pointers in the first half, but were only 5-of-20 (25 percent) from two-point range. Meanwhile, Eastern held Tennessee Tech off the offensive boards the entire first half.

EKU controlled the pace of the game in the second half and led by at least 16 points the rest of the way.

The Colonels return to action on Saturday, Feb. 6, when they host Jacksonville State at McBrayer Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.