Mack, Phillips combine for 41 points and 18 rebounds in win

Jan 25, 2018, 11:43 pm

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Kajon Mack had 22 points and eight rebounds, Curtis Phillips Jr. added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Tennessee Tech beat Southeast Missouri State 76-65 on Thursday night.

Tennessee Tech dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Redhawks 43-23.

The Golden Eagles (14-8, 6-3 Ohio Valley conference) never led in the first half, but managed to keep things close despite shooting just 37 percent overall, 3 of 13 behind the arc. The Redhawks led 33-29.

Tennessee Tech took over in the second half, riding an 18-7 run to a seven-point lead with 11:50 left. The Redhawks (11-11, 4-5) managed to get back within two with 7:13 left, but they never could reclaim the lead. The Golden Eagles shot 57 percent after the break.

Denzel Mahoney led Southeast Missouri scorers with 19 points, including four 3-pointers.

The Golden Eagles won without their second-leading scorer, Aleksa Jugovic, who sat with an ankle injury.