FINAL BOX

Final Box: Tennessee State 59 – Austin Peay 75
Records: TSU (3-13,1-6 OVC) – Austin Peay (11-7, 4-3 OVC)
Venue: Gentry Center
Location: Nashville, Tenn.

Nashville, Tenn. --- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team saw the game slip away in the fourth quarter as the Lady Tigers dropped a, 75-59, decision to Austin Peay Thursday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

TSU (3-13, 1-6 OVC) overcame an early 12-point deficit and battled to a tie game at halftime. APSU (10-7, 4-3 OVC), however, outscored TSU 41-25 in the second half.

Tia Wooten led TSU with 22 points while Kaliya Griffin added 11. Three Austin Peay players scored in double-digits.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU Leaders
  • Points: Tia Wooten- 22
  • Rebounds: Tia Wooten and Jaden Wrightsell – 5
  • Steals: Tia Wooten and Taylor Williams - 2
  • Assists: Maxine Beard
• TSU was outrebounded 46-31.
• Maxine Beard dished out five assists.
• Kaliya Griffin registered 11 points.
• TSU went 2-of-16 from three-point range.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TSU got on the board first but Austin Peay scored the next nine points to take a 9-2 lead.
• The Lady Tigers fell behind 22-10 after shooting 22 percent from the field compared to the opponents 54 percent.
• Tia Wooten got going and scored her 14th point of the game to pull TSU within six early in the second quarter.
• The Lady Tigers used a 6-0 spurt fueled by four points from Asia Sims before Franceska Brown nailed a three-pointer to tie the game 28-28.
• The teams traded buckets the rest the half and the score was knotted 34-all at the break.
• The game was tied 36-36 when APSU went on a 7-1 run to create some distance, 43-37.
• TSU managed to pull within two but four quick points from APSU made the score, 51-45, in favor of the opponent.
• Heading into the final period, TSU trailed APSU 55-48.
• APSU took control of the game when the visitors used a 16-0 run to move ahead, 67-48.
• Maxine Beard was able to score from the free-throw line to end TSU's scoring drought but the rest of the game was an uphill battle.

GAME NOTES

• Tia Wooten scored 20 of TSU's 34 first-half points but only managed to score two in the second stanza.
• TSU dropped is third straight game.
• Tia Wooten scored in double-digits for the 15^th consecutive game.
• Kaliya Griffin posted double-figures for the second time in three games.
• TSU shot at least 70 percent from the free-throw line for the seventh consecutive game.

• TSU forced 23 turnovers, while committing 14 turnovers.

• The Lady Tigers scored 15 points off turnovers and 24 in the paint.

QUOTES
Head Coach Jessica Kern

"Tough night tonight. Typically, I'm the coach where the glass is always half full, and always seeing the silver lining, but it was tough. I was very encouraged after the first half, I thought we made some adjustments, especially defensively. In that third quarter… in every game there's been a quarter – one that just didn't get it all together. Unfortunately, the third went over to the fourth. Losing my top three players simultaneously with five fouls is amazing to me. We couldn't adjust. We had absolutely no one to protect the rim, leaving freshman Mya Garrett to fend for herself. Again, I keep saying it. We're there to play another day, which is great. Our kids are hurt. This one stings. I can honestly say that this is the first game this year that there was no fight, and that's disappointing. As a coach, that's disappointing when that's what we preach."
-Overview of the game

"We've been very intentional in practices about starting faster, sense of urgency, defensive assignments – and I think that's starting to show. Over the last couple of games, it showed a little bit better, but once again, we have those scoring lulls. This is the part about our game where recruiting is so imperative. We don't have a lot of depth right now. We're 10 in roster. We've got some redshirts sitting out, but we've had quite a few injuries that have been season-ending injuries. On this team, you don't get to be a freshman. You're a sophomore right away. Kaliya Griffin. This is another game for her in 20 points, which is great. Tia Wooten had 20 points in the first half, and in this case, it was the tale of two halves. We're still shooting great from the free throw line, which is definitely a positive. The second game in-a-row where we didn't rebound as much as we should've. That goes on guards. Guards have to crash the boards because people are pinching our post players. But we're going to go upstairs and get ready for Saturday. I was pretty intense to the girls in the locker room, but the great part is, the last time I was intense, we came up with a win."
-On what it took to improve first-half performance

UP NEXT

• TSU plays the second contest of its four-game home stand on Saturday, Jan. 20 against Murray State.

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