Forecast calls for ‘Blizzard’ on Saturday

Tech’s men’s basketball team looks to bounce back with a “Blizzard” Saturday after back-to-back OVC losses against Eastern Kentucky University and Morehead State University last week.
“When you play good offensive teams, they’re going to score no matter how good your defense is,” head coach Steve Payne said. “If we don’t take care of the basketball our chances of winning go way down.”
Both games went into halftime with just a three-point difference in the score.
EKU outplayed the Golden Eagles in the second half and took advantage of a late flagrant foul call against junior guard Dennis Ogbe. The final score was 80-69.
The Morehead State game was a low-scoring affair that came down to the wire with Tech falling short 65-63.
The Golden Eagles will look to avenge these losses at home this weekend against the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the Ramada Worldwide Bracket-Buster game.
“The bracket-buster game allows us to play on national television which we don’t get to do very often so that’s always fun,” senior forward, Terrell Barnes, said.
UMKC is coming to Tech looking for a win to solidify their trip to the NCAA basketball tournament. However, The Hoop’s forecast is featuring some “inclement weather” that may hinder the Kangaroos’ chances.
The “Blizzard” is a tradition, which started in 1984 when students celebrated the first successful shot made by the Golden Eagles in a basketball game against Middle Tennessee State University by throwing showers of “Tech Squares” [toilet paper] into the air. Since MTSU has moved to the Sun Belt Conference, the “Blizzard” is now performed against Austin Peay State University and games of big significance, such as a bracket-buster.
“The ‘Blizzard’ is a fun way for the fans to get involved with the game,” said Senior Forward Terrell Barnes. “It also gives us a little psychological advantage for the next couple of possessions which is always good.”
The game starts at 7 p.m. Saturday with the “Blizzard” occurring shortly after tip-off.
The Golden Eagles will remain at home for the rest of the season with games against Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State.