BOX SCORE
Final Score: TSU 84, SIUE 85
Records: TSU (8-19, 5-10), SIUE (9-18, 5-10)
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: Gentry Center
Attendance: 2,301
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee State men's basketball team scored 51 points in the second half of its game Thursday night versus SIU-Edwardsville to eventually fall to the Cougars in the final 0.7 seconds, 85-84.
An inefficient and low energy first half put the Tigers in a 14-point hole going into the break.
Junior point guard Michael Littlejohn came out of the locker room with a layup to start the half. The fans knew this would be a hard-fought half. As the Tigers closed the gap to single digits, Gentry's volume increased ten-fold.
Five Tigers moved into double-figures led by Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey who finished the night with a game-high 23 points, rounded out with two free-throws to increase the Tigers' lead to two with less than 30 seconds left on the clock. A Cougar three-point shot closed the night, leaving the Tigers heartbroken after outscoring SIUE, 51-38 in the second half.
TSU is now 8-19, 5-10 on the season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- TSU Leaders
- Stokley Chaffee, Jr. registered a double-double for the second time this season with a 12 point, 10 rebound effort.
- Five Tigers scored in double figures: Fitzpatrick-Dorsey (23), Kamar McKnight (15), Stokley Chaffee, Jr. (12), Armani Chaney (11) and Emmanuel Egbuta (10).
- TSU committed 12 turnovers in the first half and just two in the second.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- SIUE put up three to kick off the night.
- Chaffee, Jr. hit the first two baskets for Big Blue three minutes into the half.
- A 4:23 minute scoring drought for Big Blue allowed SIUE to go on a 14-0 run.
- A Chaney three-point play cut SIUE's lead to 10.
- Dave Morris hit Egbuta down low for a typical E-Man Slam.
- SIUE led the Tigers by 14 at the half, 47-33.
- Michael Littlejohn layup to start the Tigers momentum in the second half.
- Tigers shooting 64 percent seven minutes into the period, closing the gap to just seven.
- TSU fights to bring the game to one possession with a Chaney three. Another three-point shot by Chaney gave TSU the first lead of the game.
- With .7 seconds left in the game, SIUE hit a three to take the win.
GAME NOTES
- The Tigers are now 8-3 in the all-time series against the Cougars, 5-1 at home.
- The season's starting point guard, Armani Chaney made his first appearance since UT Martin in late January.
- Emmnauel Egbuta fouled out with 1:44 to go in the game.
UP NEXT
Big Blue closes out its home schedule on Saturday, Feb. 23 as TSU hosts Eastern Illinois for Senior Night and Courtside Dining.
#BigBlueRising
