Box Score NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State men's basketball team defeated Tennessee Tech, 80-64, on MLK Day at the Gentry Center.
 
FIRST HALF: Tennessee State tallied the first basket of the game on a floater by Marcus Fitzgerald Jr., while TSU jumpstarted the offense with multiple three-pointers in the opening five minutes. Tennessee Tech scored nine unanswered points to take an early lead, 11-5. TSU responded with a 10-0 run to regain the lead, 21-18. Dedric Boyd and Fitzgerald Jr. drained three consecutive long-range jumpers during the stretch. The Tigers controlled the back-end of the half as they totaled nine three-pointers in the opening stanza. Boyd led the team with 12 points on 4-of-4 from deep, while Carlos Marshall Jr. recorded 11 points on 3-of-4 from long-range. As a team, TSU shot 60% (15-for-25) from the field and converted 9-of-12 (75%) from deep. || TSU, 44-36
 
SECOND HALF: The Tigers opened the half with a 9-4 scoring stretch as four different Tigers contributed to the run. Midway through the half, TSU went on a six-point run to extend the lead to 68-51. The Golden Eagles trimmed the deficit to 11 following a 10-4 run, in which Keishawn Davidson registered four straight points for TTU. The two programs combined for 11 points over the final four minutes.  || TSU, 80-64

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Carlos Marshall Jr. scored a game-high 19 points and matched the team-high of six rebounds.
• Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. recorded 18 points on 50% (6-for-12) from the field.
• Dedric Boyd logged 16 points and six rebounds as he drained a perfect 4-of-4 from deep in the first half.
• Kenny Cooper led the team with six assists, five of which came in the first half.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• Marshall Jr. led the team in points for the seventh game this year, including three of five OVC games.
• Fitzgerald Jr. has tallied double figure scoring in 12 contests.
• The Tigers' drained nine three-pointers in the first half, one shy of the season-high for a half (10, first half at Nebraska).

UP NEXT: Tennessee State will travel to SEMO on Thursday evening as tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.