Cape Girardeau, Mo. — The Tennessee State women's basketball team got back in the win column on Thursday with an easy 68-53 victory over SEMO to sweep the season series with the Redhawks.
With the win, TSU now has 10 wins on the season for the first time since the 2016-17 season, the final season under then head coach Larry Inman. The Lady Tigers have won five of their first six OVC games for the first time since the 2014-15 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. That team would drop its next four games before a 10-game winning streak (seven in OVC play and three in the OVC Tournament).
A regular-season sweep of the Redhawks hasn't happened since the 1996-97 season, when TSU won on the road 82-54 on Jan. 6, 1997 and then 84-70 at home on Feb.1, 1997. TSU has defeated SEMO twice in a season since then, but it was during the 2008-09 season when TSU played SEMO once in the regular season, a 70-54 win and then in the OVC Tournament, a 77-66 win.
Lacy Robins finished with a career-best 14 points along with five steals for the Lady Tigers off the bench in 21 minutes.
Tatyana Davis was also spectacular as a reserve with 11 points in 21 minutes. The duo combined for 25 of TSU's 37 bench points.
Gia Adams scored seven of her nine points in the first quarter and was one of 10 players to score in the contest.
Dominique Claytor and
Kianni Westbrook each added six points and six rebounds, respectively.
Elise Harden returned to the lineup after missing the last seven games and had four points and five rebounds in 12 minutes.
Robins shot 66 percent from the field in the contest and drilled a pair from the outside. Her defensive play stood out the most as scored half of her points off her own steals.
As a team, TSU shot over 50 percent from the field (31-59) with 70 percent of all points coming from inside the paint. TSU's defense collected 26 steals and capitalized with 30 points off turnovers.
TSU led 19-8 after the first and the #PressPlay mentality went into full gear in the second quarter as the Lady Tigers allowed just three points and led 35-11 at the turn.
In the third quarter, TSU took its largest lead of the night, 52-18, with 3:45 left to play.
SEMO played catch-up in the fourth quarter, but the difference was way too much to overcome.
Halle Smith led SEMO with 14 points and Kennedi Watkins added 13.
TSU returns home on Saturday for an in-state rivalry match with Austin Peay at 1 p.m. The Govs sat idle tonight after their contest with UT Martin was postponed due to Covid. The tip is set for 1 p.m. live on ESPN+ from the Gentry Center.
