BOX SCORE
Final Score: TSU 75, EIU 60
Records: TSU 9-19, 6-10 OVC, EIU 14-15, 7-9 OVC
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: Gentry Center
Attendance: 1,511
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee State men's basketball team defeated the Eastern Illinois Panthers Saturday night in the Gentry Center in its final home game of the season. Big Blue honored seniors Armani Chaney, who finished the night with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Stokley Chaffee, Jr., who had eight points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in the 75-60 win.
The Tigers led EIU for 31:19 of the game, allowing just a four point Panther lead early in the first half. For the remainder of the night, TSU carried the game.
Kamar McKnight and Michael Littlejohn had a hot start, combining for 21 points in the first half to lead the Tigers to a ten-point lead at the break.
On the defensive end, Big Blue held a high scoring team in EIU to shoot just 34 percent on the night, with TSU grabbing 40 boards, led by Donte Fitzpatrick Dorsey, who registered his first double-digit rebounding night of the season.
A second-half scoring drought helped EIU come back from the Tiger 15-point lead, to seven, but a late offensive push restored Big Blue's lead, as the Tigers went 8-0 in the final 48 seconds of the game.
TSU is now 9-19 overall, 6-10 in the league.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- TSU Leaders
- The Tigers closed the night with 16 assists, just two away from the OVC season-high of 18.
- Big Blue held EIU to 34 percent shooting.
- TSU outboarded the Panthers 40-35.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Big Blue and EIU went through eight possessions before Kamar McKnight drove the lane and laid it in for two.
- DaJion Henderson lays it in to tie it at seven, but was fouled. TSU went up on the three-point play.
- TSU went on a 6-0 run to push its way to a 14-point lead with 5:31 left in the half.
- Kamar McKnight led TSU with 11 points shooting 3-of-3 from three-point distance.
- Big Blue entered the break leading by 10, 39-29.
- By the first media timeout, TSU outscored the Panthers 13-11.
- The Tigers had a 4:39 scoring drought, cut by Chaffee, Jr. shots at the line.
- Fitzpatrick-Dorsey layup with the first field goal for TSU in eight minutes of game time.
- A Chaney three extended the Tigers lead to 10 with less than a minute on the clock.
- Big Blue went 8-0 in the final 48 seconds of the night.
GAME NOTES
- TSU improves to 30-24 in the all-time series against EIU, 12-8 when playing in Nashville.
- Men's basketball celebrated Armani Chaney and Stokley Chaffee, Jr. as the two played their final home game in blue and white.
- The Tigers sported their all-black uniforms for the fifth time this season, and are 2-3 when wearing the new get-ups.
UP NEXT
TSU ends regular season play on the road with the first stop in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to take on Southeast Missouri once more. Tip off is set for Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:45 p.m.
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