Ohio Valley Conference Opening Round

(St. Louis, MO) – Tournament time is here! Evansville’s Ford Center is poised to host the four days of the Ohio Valley Conference celebration of college basketball. The opening round is tonight!

Defending champion Jacksonville State doesn’t play until Thursday, but history is not on their side. There have been four different champions in the last four seasons, and six different winners over the last seven. No team has repeated as the OVC Tournament champions since Murray State’s three year run from 1997 – 1999.

The OVC bracket calls for opening round matchups between the fifth and eighth seeded teams and then number six facing number seven.

Tonight’s Games

# 5 Tennessee Tech (18-13, 10-8) v. # 8 SIUE (9-20, 5-13) – 6:30 pm – OVCDN

Tech hasn’t won the OVC Tournament since 1967 and SIUE has never won this title. Both teams boast of an OVC second team, all-conference player. Tech’s Curtis Phillips Junior averaged 14.6 points per game. Jalen Henry recently eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in his SIUE career. Henry is four rebounds away from 500 in his four year career. This is the Cougars third appearance in the postseason tournament. They have yet to win a tournament game.

The Golden Eagles won the only meeting between the two teams this season. In the 68-67 decision in Edwardsville, Shaq Calhoun (TTU) and David McFarland (SIUE) each recorded double-doubles. Phillips and Henry were both in foul trouble. Tech’s Kajon Mack led all scorers with 18 points.

 

 

# 6 Tennessee State (20-11, 11-7) v. # 7 EIU (11-18, 7-11) – 8:30 pm – OVCDN

While the Tigers swept their two-game series with the Panthers this season, the wins came by a total of seven points. Again second-team all-conference players are featured in this one.

TSU’s Christian Mekowulu and EIU’s Montell Goodwin landed on that team. Mekowulu is the kind of defensive stopper head coach Dana Ford loves on his team. The 6’9 senior averaged 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, but it is his defensive prowess that makes him stand out. The Nigeria native was named the ‘OVC Defensive Player of the Year’.

Goodwin averaged 14.8 points and over three rebounds and three assists for the injury depleted Panthers, leading them with 69 three-pointers, minutes played and in free throw percentage.

Day two will feature the winners of these games pitted against the third and fourth seeds, Austin Peay and Jacksonville State.

Do Good