FINAL BOX
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team got off to a good start but could not sustain, as the Lady Tigers dropped the Ohio Valley Conference opener to Eastern Illinois, 73-52, Thursday night in the Gentry Center.
TSU (2-9, 0-1 OVC) battled in the first quarter and played to a 16-16 tie before the momentum shifted to EIU (6-5, 1-0 OVC). The Panthers used timely scoring runs in the second and third quarters to open up the game.
Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers struggled on both ends of the floor for most of the night.
Taylor Roberts led with15 points and was the only player to reach double-digits for TSU. Megan Kent pulled down a team-best eight rebounds in the contest.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- TSU Leaders
- TSU shot 29.1 percent from the field, including 20.0 percent from three-point range.
- The Lady Tigers connected on 89.5 percent (17-of-19) of their free-throw attempts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a back-and-forth opening 10-minutes of action, EIU had a slight 12-10 advantage heading into the second period.
- The game was tied 16-16 when the Panthers seized the momentum in the second quarter.
- EIU outscored TSU 10-5 to close out the half and take a, 29-21, lead into the break.
- TSU struggled in the third stanza and EIU's lead quickly ballooned to 40-23 after outpacing the home team, 11-2, in the first four and a half minutes.
- After being outscored, 22-10, in the third, TSU sank into a 51-31 hole heading into the final quarter.
- TSU nearly matched the visitors point-for-point in the fourth period, 22-21, but it was not enough.
GAME NOTES
- EIU leads the series 29-15
- Taylor Roberts recorded double-digits for the seventh time this season.
- The loss snapped TSU's two-game winning streak vs EIU.
UP NEXT
- Tennessee State will return to action Saturday with a match-up versus SIU Edwardsville. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Gentry Center.
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