EXCLUSIVE SNOWMAGEDDON COVERAGE
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Monday, February 23, 2015
RACLE > Oldham praises campus students and workers for their eager cooperation.
Sarah Jacobs | The Oracle
Haylee y Eaton | The Oracle
>>Page 3 >>Page 2 > B’Ball Seniors recognized.
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LET IT SNOW- Students enjoyed the full week off from classes. Pictured above from left, Holly Morgan blows snow into the air, Bell Hall sits with a lawn full of fresh powder, Morgan Frye celebrates the closing of school, and Awesome Eagle dashes through the snow in a one bird open sled.
Historic winter storm cancels classes for full week, Spring Break to remain as scheduled By DRAKE FENLON Managing Editor
As part of a new campus safety procedure, all classes were canceled at Tennessee Tech for five days last week. In attempts of keeping the members of the campus community safe, University administration canceled a majority of campus activity the week of Feb. 16 through Feb. 20. According to Karen Lykins, Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing, for this rare circumstance of classes being canceled, the administration took several factors into play before making the final decision each day of closure. Lykins said the factors examined included keeping up with weather forecasts, monitoring the condition of roads, sidewalks and parking lots in the Cookeville area and the status of other Tennessee Board of Regents schools, private universities and public K-12 schools in the area. “The decision came after around-the-clock monitoring by a lot of individuals concerned with the safety of students and employees,” Lykins said. “All college deans were consulted and gave input into the decision to cancel classes.” The decision to temporarily close down campus did not strictly end with deliberation from the deans and administration of the University. “A lot of teamwork goes into making sure we are monitoring state and local agencies and media so we can gather all the information available,” Tech
President Phil Oldham said in a press release. “Our campus police and facilities personnel are continuously traveling campus streets and surrounding roads to give us the latest information.” Use of the newly modified emergency alert color-coded system played a key factor in getting the information out to members of the campus community. Before 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, an email message was sent to all students, faculty and staff with assurance that the University was monitoring road and travel conditions and would communicate a decision on the campus status as soon as local and area weather conditions began impacting those areas. Later that night at 11:30 p.m., an email was sent out saying classes were fully canceled for Monday, Feb. 16 and the University had been placed on a code orange threat level, meaning all employees would have reported at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 16. Before employees could report Monday morning, a follow-up email was sent out, moving the code from orange to red meaning campus was closed except for emergency personnel. According to the code “Emergency personnel include Campus Police, Facilities personnel, Dining Services personnel, Residential Life personnel and Health Services personnel.” According to Lykins, the rest of the closures went on a day-by-day basis, depending on the weather circumstances. Lykins said that even though the University
was officially closed for the full week, there were campus workers on duty every day to feed, serve and protect about 2,500 students who live in residence halls. “There’s constant attention being given to streets, parking lots and sidewalks,” Lykins said. “Facilities workers work a rotation throughout the day and evening so that about 20 workers are on campus at any given time.” Some students on social media suggested the concern of the administration eliminating the upcoming Spring Break. Lykins diminished these rumors by stating “There is no current discussion or thought about any modifications to the remaining semester schedule.” As of press time, the campus is in a status of green and the administration plans to keep the campus fully open for the week of Feb. 23. According to an email sent to students Sunday, Feb. 22, professors will help students to adjust back to a full-time class schedule after the closure for snow. “We will work with colleges to make sure students are not penalized as a result of inclement weather closing of the University,” Bahman Ghorashi, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Generally, each class has its own requirements and instructors determine the best way to help students catch up.”
Students affected by snow closure
Winter storm causes students to spend portions of week without power, Tennessee elevated to Level II- State Emergency By JAKE THREET Beat Reporter
Gabriella Farley | The Oracle ICED OUT- Last week’s snowy and icey temperatures caused cast and crew of “The Vagina Monologues” to postpone all performances at the Backdoor Playhouse until this week.
Vagina Monologues postponed because of winter storm By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer Tennessee Tech’s Backdoor Playhouse has postponed the production of “The Vagina Monologues” as a result of last week’s inclement weather conditions. The play was scheduled for Thursday Feb. 19, Friday Feb. 20 and Saturday Feb. 21 but was rescheduled for this Monday Feb. 23, Tuesday Feb. 24 and Wednesday Feb. 25. Director of Backdoor Playhouse Mark Creter said it was his decision to postpone the play. “ I want to give the actors the chance to have a few tech Read More Online
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rehearsals before we open Monday,” Creter said. “I think it is the best plan even though it goes against the old adage that ‘the show must go on.’” This will be Creter’s ninth time producing “The Vagina Monologues” for Tech. Creter apologized for the inconvenience on Backdoor Playhouse’s Facebook page. He went on to say that the rescheduling would not affect the spring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The show starts at 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and costs $15 for everyone including Tech students.
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Winter Storm Octavia blew into Putnam County late Sunday night bringing freezing rain and snow that resulted in the closure of Tennessee Tech University for five days. As some students took the time to enjoy their days off from school, others were busy dealing with the harsh conditions the storm left in its path. Power outages happened across the county during the storm and forced some students to find other ways to stay warm. “We lost power for almost an hour,” said Tech student Kelsey Stephens. “We heard people outside of our apartment and went out to see what they were doing and they were sledding and having a snowball fight. We sat in our car to stay warm.” While some were stuck without power, others were stuck inside their dorms or apartments because of treacherous parking lots and roads. “I was unable to leave my apartment for 3 days,” said Tech student LaTausha Hamby. “Our parking lot was solid ice and we couldn’t make it up our hill. Neither me or my husband could even make it to work.” Even with the harsh conditions on the roads, people still found time to enjoy the snow and partake in some fun. “A large group from Pinkerton used laundry baskets to sled down the hill in front of the Penebaker,” Tech student Sarah Gillespie said. “We also raced each other down the hill in the baskets and moonwalked on the ice.” After the storm brought freezing rains and ice in the earlier part of the week, another 1.1 inches of snow accumulated Wednesday adding to the hazardous conditions. “I fell down six steps on the back side of Pinkerton,” said Gillespie. “There was so much ice, and it was like sliding down a slide.”
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Sarah Jacobs | The Oracle SNOW PUSH- Nick Cantrell, Spencer Pryor and Garrison Holmes help push a resident of Saxony Apartments out of his parking spot. A Level II-State of Emergency was issued on Saturday, declaring Tennessee as a major disaster. “Power outages made me appreciate having light to study,” said Tech student Rachel Larkins. “I was also going to use Sunday to finish my leftovers but since I couldn’t use my microwave or fridge, it made the food go bad. Next time, I will definitely take advantage of the food I have instead of eating out.” According to TEMA, the latest weatherrelated fatality total in Tennessee increased to 22 on Sunday afternoon. TEMA named Cumberland, Fentress, Overton, Putnam and White counties as the worst hit areas with heavy damage reported and large power outages. “Our power went out around 4:00 a.m. Saturday and didn’t come back on until 1:30 p.m. Sunday,” said Tech student Neil Stanton. “The biggest problem for me was instinctively walking in a room and flipping the light switch. It was like am unplanned camping trip, but a very comfortable one.”
Death of TTU student, Dillard Biles remembered By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Tennessee Tech student Dillard Biles died at Cookeville Regional Medical Center; he was 21 years old. Biles was a wildlife and fisheries science major and is survived by his parents, Mark Biles and Tracy and sister MaKenna. Students and professors who knew Biles said he was always in a good mood and was a pleasure to have around. “I didn’t know Dillard Biles that long, but every time I saw him, he was so nice and always had a smile on his face. I’ve never EVER seen him frown before. I just saw him a week ago … and though short, our conversation brightened my day!” said fellow wildlife and fisheries major Courtney Wheeler. “… I’m still left speechless. We lost such a wonderful person, and whoever didn’t get to meet him really missed out.” Professor of wildlife and fisheries Daniel Combs said that Biles was studious and had an admiration for his chosen major. “He was extremely likable, and I can’t recall a time when he did not have a smile on his face. He was enthralled with the natural world, and his fondness for wild animals and their habitats was obvious,” Combs said. Biles went on a trip to Costa Rica last May, organized by Combs, with other wildlife and fisheries majors as part of a class where each student was required to teach one another about the geology and biology in the country. “ It was a joy having him as a companion; his enthusiasm enhanced my satisfaction for having organized the trip. Dillard was a fine young man, and we will miss him greatly. Unfortunately, his loss will deprive the wildlife profession of one who would have undoubtedly been a future asset to the conservation of our natural resources,” Combs said. Former Tech student Will Fullerton got to know Biles while they were roommates during the trip to Costa Rica. “Over the course of the trip, I got to know Dillard and his passion for the outdoors and the wildlife that inhabits it,” said Fullerton. “Dillard was just about the friendliest guy you could meet, always ready with a joke and quick to smile. I am very glad I had the opportunity to meet him and I am honored to be able to call him a friend.” Funeral services were held Sunday, Feb. 22 at the Anderson and Son Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. Biles’ family has asked for memorials to be made to the World Wildlife Fund to honor their son.
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FRIDAY 36/26 °F
SATURDAY 45/12 °F
SUNDAY 29/19 °F
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LIVING
Monday, February 23, 2015
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Oldham praises campus community’s cooperation during winter storm closure By PHILIP OLDHAM Guest Writer This past week has been one of the most unusually beautiful and challenging in the 100-year history of Tennessee Tech University. Nature often humbles us and forces us to reassess our priorities and plans. Although any record of campus closings are hard to come by, canceling classes and closing the TTU campus for an entire week due to wintry weather conditions appears to be without precedent in everyone’s recollection. In fact, TTU folklore says that TTU will cancel classes only when the snow reaches the eagle on top of Derryberry Hall. Well, I guess that myth was busted soundly this past week! As an old chemistry professor, it is completely against my instinct and nature to give up a single minute of class time, but as president, I understand my duty to make a decision that gives priority to the safety and well-being of students, faculty and staff. Although the decisions to close campus each day were difficult, I was very proud of the process we followed in making those calls. Regular communication and input from the academic deans, Faculty Senate leaders, campus police, campus facilities and grounds, dining services, National Weather Service, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Cookeville Emergency Management and others ensured that we had the most updated and relevant information possible to make an informed decision. Thanks to the excellent work
of Associate Vice President Karen Lykins and her staff, the campus received regular and timely announcements regarding campus status and class schedules. Despite being officially closed, the campus was far from inactive. Essential campus services had to be maintained for the comfort and safety of more than 2,000 students living on campus. We owe a special thank you to all of the facilities, grounds, SSC custodial services, Chartwells dining services, Health Center, police, Fitness Center and library staff who went well beyond the norm under difficult circumstances to keep necessary services operating. Once again, TTU staff showed how awesome they are by doing everything that needed to be done with a great attitude and obvious personal pride in the Tech campus and TTU students. Social media was burning up throughout the week with questions, comments, suggestions, pictures and jokes. #TechYeah emerged as the proud campus rallying cry on Twitter to unite students, faculty and staff in this shared experience. Classes may have been suspended for the week, but I dare say much learning occurred nonetheless. For all of you who worked much longer hours in the unusually harsh environment to serve the rest of us, thank you. You have demonstrated the true spirit of Tennessee Tech for all of us. I am delighted to recognize each of you as the first recipients of the #TechYeah Award for Service.
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All Day
Engineer’s Week TTU
All Day
Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Michael Davis, jazz/ trombone composer Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building Kim Biggs l The Oracle
SLEDDING ADVENTURES- Students living in M.S. Cooper and Pinkerton Hall race in laundry baskets and plastic bins on the frozen road.
All Day
Engineer’s Week TTU
All Day
Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Beta Alpha Psi Meeting Johnson Hall 218
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Baseball vs. Middle Tennessee State University Bush Stadium Jim Dillon l Guest Contributor
Gabriella Farley l The Oracle
SNOW MUCH FUN - Savannah Savage (left) and Justin Shell (right) have a quick snowball fight on Tech’s campus.
LET IT GO - Sarah Shelton sleds down the hill between Crawford Hall and Maddux and McCord Hall in a laundry basket with other Tech students.
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Michael Davis, jazz/ trombone composer Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
25 All Day
Engineer’s Week TTU
All Day
Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
ADTRAN Information Session RUC 370
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Harlem Wizards Fundraiser Memorial Gym
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Pops Night for Trumpet Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
Read more of President Oldham’s blog posts on The President’s Post @ http://blogs.tntech.edu/president/ President Oldham will host his first open chat of the semester at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The chat will be in the first-floor Tech Pride Room of the Roaden University Center. Oldham’s chats are an open forum for students, faculty and staff to ask questions and hear about how various University projects and initiatives are progressing. Free lunch will be provided.
24
Jon Ezell l The Oracle
BAJA BLAST - Logan Atkins, mechanical engineering major, riding a BAJA carts on a snow-covered Sherlock Park Tuesday afternoon.
26 All Day
Engineer’s Week TTU
All Day
Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Engineering Fair 2015 RUC Multipurpose Room
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY...WE’RE HAVING A
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Eating Disorder Awareness Fair Fitness Center Lobby
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Eating Disorder Awareness Fair Fitness Center Lobby
5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Engineer’s Week Banquet Leslie Town Centre
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Liliane Weissberg Johnson Hall Auditorium
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
University Orchestra Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
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www.tntech.edu/calendar
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Monday, February 23, 2014
Thoughts on Snowmageddon 2015 <<
Dear freshmen KIMMY WHITTINGTON Opinion Editor D e a r freshmen, This never happens. Ever. This is my last semester at Tech, and I have never had a day off school for snow. The only snow day I can recall was my freshman year; it started on a Friday afternoon, after most everyone had finished classes, packed up their bags, and left this little town. It’s all because of Phil. President Philip Oldham may as well have a statue erected of him on Centennial Plaza after this week, because his stardom just shot through the roof. Tweets like “#Oldham2016” and “#WeLovePhil,” started trending as he made his final call to cancel school for the rest of the week.
My jaw had dropped when I heard the news. This only happened because I have been stuck to assume that snow days didn’t exist for us. Tech students don’t ever get a day off. For the past four years, every time Putnam County said their students could stay home because of weather, I was walking to school in the snow with more layers than the “Christmas Story” kid. So this was a big deal. Along with never having a snow cancellation, there are other conditions that fall behind it. During my time at Tech, I have still had class during power outages, blackouts, tornado watches and tornado warnings. I can still recall sitting in Dr. Redding’s class my freshman year as branches were slamming the Pennebaker windows and wind was twirling outside. As he told us to turn the page in our textbooks, the siren came on: you know,
SNOWPINION Trending now at Tech Tech students take to Twitter to show their feelings about the closing
the whole, “Can I have your attention, can I have your attention please. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning …” He kept teaching class during the warning – the madness! Any who, what I am trying to say is that this past week of no school is unheard of. I mean all one hundred years worth of students at Tech have never received so much time off for snow. As you go off to tweet about how awesome Tech is for doing this, don’t forget to let this realization sink in. This will probably never happen again for another one hundred years. Just like Oldham tweeted, “I think we should proclaim this historic week as the unofficial start to our TTU Centennial Celebration. #TechYeah” Kimmy Whittington is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at
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kemanning42@students.tntech.edu
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Thank you Tennessee Tech DAVE MCMINN Web Editor Now that I have an entire three years of being a legal adult under my belt, I think I’m allowed to start handing out aphorisms, proverbs, unwanted advice and other general wisdom to everyone younger than me. It’s amazing how much knowledge you can accumulate in such a short time. When I was a wee lad of 18, I was constantly taking wooden nickels, putting the cart before the horse, and counting my chickens before they hatched; now I don’t even look gift horses in the mouth. One bit of knowledge has served me especially well through my young-adult adventures in exotic locales like the County Clerk’s office and the DMV: bureaucracies do not care about you. This is an unfortunate side effect of success. As organizations get bigger and bolder, they start to focus less on their original pur-
pose and more on the dayto-day tasks of keeping the lights on, the air conditioner running, and the paperwork up to date. Even the most idealistic nonprofit eventually has to hire a secretary to screen their calls. It’s not that the individuals involved are bad; it’s just that there are 50 people in line behind you and they all think their license renewal/address change/FAFSA is the center of the universe (just like you do). Bureaucracies exist to preserve themselves and the venture they spring up around, and as such are not known for decisive action, sympathy or an individual touch. This is why I want to thank President Oldham (and anyone else involved) for the way he handled last week’s wintry fury. If you’ve ever had to deal with a university or workplace that can’t decide whether or not to close in the face of inclement weather, you know exactly how frustrating it is. Closures are ex-
pensive and a waste of valuable time, so it’s the natural tendency of organizations to put off that decision as long as they can. This makes sense from a bureaucratic standpoint: they don’t want to close unless they absolutely have to, but it’s inconvenient at best and dangerous at worst for the people who actually have to come in. Thankfully, President Oldham and the rest of Tech’s administration stepped up, made their decision, and announced it well in advance. They prioritized the wellbeing of our faculty, staff and students over schedules and budgets. I’m proud to know that despite the size of our organization, Tech still knows to put its people first. So thanks, President Oldham. It’s good to know you’re looking out for us. Dave McMinn is a junior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations He can be reached at tdmcminn42@students.tntech. edu
CORRECTION FEB. 13, 2015
T
he story “Phi Delta Theta brings back All-Sing” ended abruptly. The final sentence of the story should read “Phi Delta Theta’s philanthropy week events include a penny drop Feb. 25 and 26 in the Roaden University Center Lobby, Chick-fil-a night on the Feb. 25, and will end with All-Sing.” The Oracle regrets the error.
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SPORTS
Monday, February 23, 2015
>> Inside the Game
BASKETBALL
Basketball drops both games in senior night doubleheader By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor The Eblen Center hosted senior night for the Tennessee Tech basketball teams Saturday. Golden Eagle fans made their presence known despite the treacherous weather conditions in the surrounding area. Both Golden Eagle teams hosted Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont University. Tech has struggled this season entering the contest with a 2-11 record in the OVC and a 5-11 record overall. Belmont took control of the game early, roaring their way to a 15-5 lead. The Golden Eagles cut the lead down to a 6-point deficit before a 7-0 Bruin run stretched the advantage back to double figures. The Golden Eagles, ignited by two Hannah Goolsby threes, embarked on an 11-3 run. The Bruins saw their lead dwindle to 5 points at the 5:21 point of the first half, and they answered with a Katie Carroll 3-pointer and a layup from Lauren Thompson to gain a 30-20 lead. The remaining 2:16 of the half included a 5-2 run by the Golden Eagles and a 7-point Belmont halftime lead.
Tech was led in first half scoring by senior T’Keyah Williams. Williams scored seven points before the break. Fellow senior Candace Parson did not have any points in the first half, but she did crash the boards for seven rebounds. Sophomore Shunice Herron connected on a 3-pointer on the first Tech possession of the half. The Bruins quickly tried to respond but missed two 3-pointers on their next possession. Samaria Howard snatched down the defensive rebound for the Golden Eagles but missed a layup. Howard’s missed layup led to Williams’ offensive rebound and put back, which made the Bruin advantage only two. Williams and Parsons Davis went toe-totoe with Bruins inside the paint. “I thought Candace Parson and T’Keyah Williams in their senior night just fought their hearts out: battled, pushed, shoved, knocked whatever it took,” said Golden Eagles head coach Jim Davis. “They did a superb job I thought.” Herron’s layup resulted
in a Tech 62-59 lead with only 1:36 remaining. The crowd was on the edge of their seats for the next Belmont possession. Carroll’s 3-pointer tied the game with 1:16 remaining. Williams missed a jumper for Tech. Frankie Joubran made a defensive rebound which set up Carroll again for the game winning 2-point jumper. The Bruins squeaked out a road win 64-62. In a losing effort, the Golden Eagles had three players in double digits at the end of the game. Williams ended her career at The Hoop with an 11-point performance. Herron earned 10 points including two 3-pointers, and her defensive outing included four steals. Samaria Howard had the most success for Tech, eclipsing the 20-point mark with 21 points for the evening. Howard was 9-for-19 in field goals and 3-for-4 at the free-throw line. Parson was the team leader in rebounds with 10. Belmont was led in scoring by Jordyn LuffmanHartsfield. The senior connected on five 3-pointers and was perfect from the free-throw line going 4-for4. The Bruins were 8-of-23 in 3-pointers. “We were not supposed to give up that many 3-pointers,” said Davis. “We were supposed to be contesting.
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That has been our Achilles’ heel all year long. We are the last in the (OVC) in 3-point field goal percentage defense. It is not something that we do not harp on all the time, it is just we did not get it done there tonight.” The Golden Eagles did have a decent physical presence on the court, but the Bruins out did Tech in the rebounding category 41-to-30. “A lot of their rebounds, 12 of their rebounds, were offensive rebounds which is never supposed to happen,” said Davis. “All I can do is harp, preach, teach and practice. They are the ones who have to make the effort to do that.” Following a farewell presentation for senior players and staff, attention turned to the evening’s nightcap: a showdown between the Golden Eagle men’s basketball team and the Belmont Bruins. A little over a year ago, the Golden Eagles shocked the OVC, defeating Belmont 81-76 inside The Hoop. The Bruins more than likely remembered that 5-point defeat and came out of the gates wanting to put Tech away early and allow no chance of a repeat. Belmont acquired an early 12-4 lead. In true Bruin fashion, six of their first 12 points came on 3-point shots.
The Golden Eagles kept coming and eventually tied the contest up at 19 when Charles Jackson connected on a layup with 11:57 remaining in the half. Back-to-back threes helped Belmont avoid a Tech charge. Tech entered the locker room at halftime with a 43-36 deficit. After the first half, Jackson led the team in scoring with 10 points. He was also the team leader in rebounds, with four at the break. Unfortunately, the junior already had two fouls at the break. Belmont concluded the half of shooting, completing 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) from the field, including six 3-pointers. “I have always said when you play Belmont and they shoot the three really well, you are in for long night,” said Golden Eagles head coach Steve Payne. The Bruins continued to cling to the lead until Torrance Rowe made a layup with 5:53 left to take the lead 73-72. It was the first lead for the Golden Eagles since the early part of the first half. However, the lead was short lived. Reece Chamberlain tipped in a 2-point basket for the Bruins, reclaiming the lead for the visitors 77-76. Javon McKay would tie the game up with 3:49 left in the
contest, but the Golden Eagles never regained the lead. Belmont continued to hit shot after shot down the stretch, Payne creating no chance for a Golden Eagle comeback. “We had the game. We missed a couple of key free throws,” said Payne. “We shot free throws well, we just missed a couple of key ones at the wrong time.” “Against that team offensively, the kind of night they were having, when you blink they get you and that is what happened to us,” said Payne. The Bruins shot over 60 percent for the game and were 10-of-21 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were nearly 50 percent shooting and had one of their better nights shooting the 3-pointer, going 8-of 24. Tech has two more games on the road. The men’s team goes to OVC rival Morehead State to compete Thursday, while both men’s and women’s teams go to Eastern Kentucky for a double-header. However, the loss to the Bruins officially knocked them from the OVC tournament bracket.
BASEBALL
Baseball cancels home series; goes to Georgia for three games By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles baseball team traveled to Savannah, Georgia for a three-game weekend series. Tech was forced to make other plans for their weekend after the winter storm forced the cancellation of their series with Youngstown State University. The team was able to schedule two games with the University of Michigan and a Sunday evening match up with Davidson University. “I can’t begin to tell you the many hours it took us to find a new site to play and an opponent to play,” said head coach Matt Bragga via email. “Luckily we found a great site in Savannah, Georgia, the minor league park there, and a great opponent in Michigan.” Grayson Stadium, home of the Savannah Sand Gnats, hosted three National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I baseball games. The Golden Eagles began their weekend series Friday with a 6-5 loss at the hands of the Wolverines. The bats were silent until the top of the third when Michigan’s Jackson Glines batted in Jacob Cronenworth on a single up the middle. The Golden Eagles responded in the bottom of the third when Dylan Bosheers connected on a Cam Wysocki pitch. Bosheers double scored Anthony El Chibani and Jake Farr from second and third base. The double gave Tech a 2-1 lead. Senior outfielder David Allen took his base on balls from Wysocki in the bottom of the fourth inning, which led to an unearned run scored by Chase Chambers. Wysocki was replaced after the at-bat by freshman Michael Hendrickson. The Wolverines received
Shea Haile | The Oracle HOMEWARD BOUND-Matt Cunningham touches third base headed for home during the last game against Longwood. a run from a Cronenworth single in the top of the sixth. Michigan had a big inning in the eighth, scoring three runs and tying the game at five. The Golden Eagles offense was able to produce two runs in the bottom of the eighth after Mac Lozer walked Tech’s first baseman Ryan Flick. Johnny Carpenter was able to advance home and score the fourth run for Tech. Tyler Brazelton grounded out during his at-bat, but he was still able to score El Chibani from third base, tying the score at 5-5. The Wolverines scored their final and eventual game-winning run on a bunt from Cody Bruder. The Golden Eagles and Wolverines shared the diamond again Saturday in a contest that included the two teams combining for 19 runs. Tech began the scoring in the top of the second when Flick scored from third on a Trevor Putzig groundout. El Chibani singled to the right side, which allowed Chambers to score the second run of the inning. Two errors by the Michigan defense allowed two unearned runs from the Golden Eagles in the third inning. El Chibani added two more runs batted in to his stats on a single to left center. Jordan Hopkins got in on the action by hitting a double and batting in two more runs. After the six-run inning, Tech had the 6-2 advantage.
The Wolverines scored a run in the bottom of the third. Carmen Benedetti homered in the bottom of the fifth, batting in three runs to make the score 7-4. After two silent Tennessee Tech half innings, Michigan had two runs from two sacrifice fly balls. The Golden Eagles’ bats sparked again in the top of the eighth. Allen hit a sacrifice fly out to single field to score El Chibani from third. Bosheers doubled to left field and earned two RBIs, resulting in the final score for Tech. Michigan had a last-gasp effort in the bottom of the ninth, but fell short in the 11-8 defeat. Sunday came with a change of opponent for the Golden Eagles as they faced the Davidson Wildcats. Tech handled the Wildcats easily in a 12-5 victory. After this weekend’s action, Tech is 4-2 in the season. The team dropped their season opener to Longwood University. In the second game of the three-game series with the Lancers, the Golden Eagles overcame a 7-2 deficit in the ninth to win their first game of the season. The last game of the series saw Tech defeat Longwood by 10 runs, 12-2, on Valentine’s Day Bush Stadium. The Golden Eagles will be back in action Tuesday to face the visiting Blue Raiders from Middle Tennessee State University.