The Sports Network

DATE & TIME: Thursday, December 6, 8:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Eblen Center (10,250) -- Cookeville, Tennessee. Television: None. Home Record: Green Bay 2-0, TTU 3-1. Away Record: Green Bay 0-3, TTU 1-2. Neutral Record: Green Bay 1-1, TTU 0-0. Conference Record: Green Bay 0-0, TTU 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles shoot for back-to-back wins for the second time this season as they challenge the Green Bay Phoenix in non- conference play on Thursday at the Eblen Center.

Tennessee Tech, which opened the 2012-13 campaign with consecutive wins over Coastal Carolina and East Tennessee State, had lost three in a row before capturing a 69-45 triumph over Berea on Monday at home.

As for Green Bay, it too won two straight games to begin the new season against the likes of Chicago State and Southern Utah, but since then there's been just one more win for the Phoenix. That victory, a 74-59 final over North Dakota State on Nov. 24, served to snap a three-game slide, but over the weekend the team fell right back into the loss column with a 67-51 setback at Virginia.

This game marks the first-ever meeting between the schools on the hardwood.

If Green Bay thought shooting only 37.0 percent from the floor in the first half against Virginia was bad, the squad wasn't ready for the 20 minutes after intermission when they made good on only 30.8 percent from the field, en route to the double-digit loss against the Cavaliers. Alec Brown tried to give the visitors a fighting chance with his 14 points and six rebounds, but he was also charged with five turnovers without the benefit of a single assist. Keifer Sykes tacked on 12 points, to go with three boards, three assists and three steals. One of the more accurate three-point shooters on the team with his 45.5 percent effort, Sykes leads the group in scoring through seven games with 15.7 ppg, his 19 assists also second on the unit. Brennan Cougill (12.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Brown (12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) play primarily in the paint, although the former continues to try his hand at three-point shooting where he has made just 3-of-22 attempts.

Against Berea, the Golden Eagles mixed up their starting lineup a bit, which is why not a single one of the five scored in double figures. In fact, the quintet accounted for only 20 of the team's 69 points. Jud Dillard led the way with a game-high 20 points and a team-best seven rebounds in 29 minutes of relief work. Dillard, who shot 4-of-6 behind the 3-point line, added three assists as well for the hosts in the 24-point win. Lanerryl Johnson chipped in with 10 points off the bench as well, while Matt Marseille's perfect 4-of-4 performance from the floor afforded him nine points. A starter in the first six games of the season, Dillard leads the team in scoring with 20.0 ppg, shooting both 51.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent behind the three- point line. Jeremia Samarrippas accounts for 10.4 ppg for a group that is outscoring opponents by more than 10 ppg.

Green Bay has yet to win a true road game this season, but this might be as good a time as any to change that.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Green Bay 68, Tennessee Tech 64