Thursday Night Nashville Basketball Round - Up

Photo / Thomas Cornern TTU Athletics

UT Women’s Basketball (Knoxville) Senior Janiah Barker poured in a career-high 29 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and teammates Zee Spearman (14) and Talaysia Cooper (11) joined her in double figures, but No. 21 Tennessee’s furious fourth‑quarter rally fell short in an 82-74 loss at Texas A&M. The Lady Vols outscored the Aggies 23-13 in the final frame and trimmed an 18-point deficit to two with 2:07 left, but A&M closed on a 6-0 spurt. Ny’Ceara Pryor led the Aggies with 22; Fatmata Janneh added 17 and a game-high 12 rebounds. Cooper and Spearman each hit the 1,000‑point milestone in the game. Tennessee heads to No. 11/9 Oklahoma next (ESPN).

Tennessee State Men (Gentry Center) Dante Harris led TSU with 21 points as the Tigers used second-half dominance on the glass and in transition to beat Lindenwood 89-80. Jalen Pitre posted 11 points and a team-high 13 rebounds; Carlous Williams and Travis Harper II scored 17 apiece. TSU grabbed 42 rebounds (19 offensive) and turned 19 Lindenwood turnovers into 31 points, outscoring the Lions 47-38 after halftime. The win keeps the Tigers strong in OVC play.

Trevecca Nazarene Men (Nashville) Trevecca overcame a 13-point first-half deficit, then caught fire from deep in the second to rally past Mississippi College 89-82. Jax Abernathy led the Trojans with 24 — his fifth straight 20-point outing — while Fred Bailey added a 20‑point double‑double with 10 rebounds. Trevecca shot 58.6% for the game and was 50% from long range, closing with a win that keeps them tied for fifth in the GSC heading into Senior Day vs. Delta State.

Trevecca Women (Nashville) Senior Cheyenne Trotter scored a career-high 30 and grabbed 18 rebounds to become the 15th Trojan to reach the 1,000‑point club as Trevecca defeated Mississippi College 87-77. Tatum Shaw added 21 and Jordan Gillies 15. The Trojans dominated the glass (50 rebounds) and held a 16-9 second‑chance edge. Trevecca remains in the thick of the GSC race with three games left and hosts Delta State on Saturday.

Austin Peay Men (Jacksonville) In dramatic fashion, Austin Peay completed a huge comeback at North Florida, winning on a last‑gasp sequence and finishing 77-76. Rashaud Marshall posted career highs with 27 points and 14 rebounds (7 offensive), and Collin Parker had 16. Freshman Zyree Collins recorded seven steals. Down 16 in the first half, APSU rallied in the second and sealed its 20th win of the season; the Govs can clinch at least a share of the ASUN regular-season title with a Saturday victory at Jacksonville.

Cumberland Men (Henderson) Cumberland battled but couldn’t keep up with top-ranked Freed‑Hardeman, falling 85-61. Jordan Jenkins led the Phoenix with a career night, and Nick Brunetti chipped in double digits and three assists, but Cumberland couldn’t close a second-half gap as Freed‑Hardeman pulled away to complete a perfect conference regular season. Cumberland returns home for Senior Day vs. Bethel.

Cumberland Women (Henderson) The Lady Phoenix were overwhelmed by Freed‑Hardeman’s hot start and efficient shooting in a 79-48 loss. Cumberland shot 26.3% overall; Sydney Schwallie and Emaleigh Tarpley led with 10 points each.

Freed‑Hardeman used a 22-8 first quarter to set the tone and closed strong with a 37-26 rebounding edge. Cumberland hosts Bethel on Saturday to finish the regular season.

Tennessee Tech Women (Cookeville) SIUE’s hot shooting buried Tennessee Tech in a 76-60 win at the Eblen Center. Tech’s LaReesha Cawthorn led the Golden Eagles with 19 points and seven boards, but SIUE shot extremely well (including 11‑for‑14 in the third) and outrebounded Tech 40-23. Tech is 14-12 (7-10 OVC) with three regular-season games left and hosts Lindenwood on Senior Day Saturday.

Tennessee Tech Men (Cookeville) JaJuan Nicholls posted 20 points and 15 rebounds to lift Tennessee Tech to a 62-52 victory over SIUE. Nicholls’ second-half bursts keyed a defensive rally; Tech held the Cougars to 32.4% shooting after intermission and outrebounded SIUE 47-35, converting 16 second‑chance points. Ty Owens played all 40 minutes and added 12 and seven boards. Tech closes its home slate Saturday vs. Lindenwood with Senior Day ceremonies.

Tennessee Tech Women’s Basketball — Cookeville: SIUE’s hot shooting put Tennessee Tech in an early hole the Golden Eagles couldn’t climb out of, as the Cougars swept the season series with a 76-60 win at the Eblen Center. Tech falls to 14-12 (7-10 OVC) while SIUE moves to 13-14 (6-11). SIUE drilled 11-of-18 in the first and an eye-popping 11-of-14 in the third, finished with seven 3‑pointers to Tech’s three, and out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 40-23; the visitors led by as many as 22 in the fourth. Tech forced 16 turnovers but managed only five steals and couldn’t convert enough stops. LaReesha Cawthorn led Tech with 19 points and seven rebounds; Reagan Hurst added 15, Cam Mathews 13 and Chloe Larry 10. SIUE’s Kiyoko Proctor scored 23 and Lauren Miller 19. Tech returns home Saturday to host Lindenwood for Senior Day at 1 p.m.