Score: Tennessee State 84, Eastern Kentucky 89
Records: TSU (4-19, 3-17), EKU (21-6, 15-5)
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Arena: Alumni Coliseum
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RICHMOND, Ky. --- In the 2020-21 season finale, th Tennesse State men's basketball team fell to Eastern Kentucky 89-84 Saturday evening in the Tigers' Ohio Valley Conference game in the Alumni Coliseum.
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Mark Freeman led TSU for the fourth-straight game, notching 20+ points for the eighth time this season. Twenty-one points, five assists, two rebounds and one steal rounds out the guard's sophomore season.
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Tennessee State clears the year with four wins, all in the Gentry Center, three of them league games.
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Monty Johal knocked down 17 – a career-best.
Shakem Johnson led in rebounds with six and blocks with one.
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Despite leading the Colonels in shooting from the floor and from three, Eastern Kentucky compiled 21 victories overall, 15 in conference action.
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- TSU Leaders
- A missed free throw in the second period ended Freeman's 16 made free-throw streak.
- TSU shot better from the floor and from three, while the Colonels went 27-for-28 from the charity stripe.
- Monty Johal scored a career-high 17 points.
- Four Tigers scored double-figures – Freeman 21, Johnson 19, Johal 17, Barrett 12.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The teams turned the ball over on the first two possessions before Shakem Johnson was able to throw down a dunk to start the game.
- At first media timeout, the Tigers trailed by 3, 11-8.
- Monty clocked  back-to-back buckets before Amorey Womack shot a corner three to help TSU take its first lead, 16-14.
- Johnson went on his own six-point run to decrease the Tigers' 12-point deficit by half, 41-35. The Colonels put up two more points from the charity stripe, to take the game into the break, 43-35.
- Four and a half minutes into the second period, TSU outscored the Colonels 14-10.
- Freeman scored seven TSU points as four Tiger athletes entered double-digit scoring on the road. .
- A Johal mid-range jumper tied it at 71 with six minutes on the clock.
- Wendell Green had EKU's only missed free throw all night with 24 seconds left on the clock. EKU finished the finished the game, 27-of-28 from the free throw line.
- Johnson and Barrett fought for the win, taking the final two shots for TSU, 89-84. Â Â
GAME NOTES
- This marks the 71st meeting between Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky.
- Brian Penny Collins is 1-6 against EKU.
- TSU trails 30-41 in the all-time series versus EKU.
 #BigBlueRisingÂ
