KANSAS CITY, MO - The Tennessee State women's basketball team had 10 fewer turnovers than Kansas City, but fell 82-70 to the Kangaroos on the road Friday.
The Lady Tigers (1-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Gia Adams, who had 27 points and four steals. Saniah Parker added 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks and Sierra McCullough helped out with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tennessee State offense was strong from downtown, pouring in eight threes on 26 attempts. Adams hit five treys for the Lady Tigers in the contest.
Tennessee State forced 24 UMKC turnovers while committing 14 themselves in Friday's game. The Lady Tigers turned those takeaways into 15 points on the other end of the floor. Adams' four steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 20-12 at the end of the first quarter.
UMKC kept adding to that lead, building a 29-14 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from Parker, to narrow its deficit to 29-21. UMKC responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Lady Tigers trailing 39-30 heading into halftime.
UMKC continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 60-39 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Parker, to trim its deficit to 60-44 with six seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Tennessee State took advantage of nine UMKC turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points off of takeaways.
UMKC kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 76-55 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run, finished off by Adams' three, to shrink the deficit to 76-62 with 2:13 to go in the contest. The Lady Tigers kept their comeback going, but UMKC managed to hold on for the 82-70 win. Tennessee State pulled down four offensive rebounds to score six second-chance points out of 26 total in the period
Game Notes
» Sierra McCullough notched a double-double for the Lady Tigers with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
» Tennessee State lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down eight three-pointers in the game.
» The Lady Tigers shared the ball well, recording an assist on 64 percent of made field goals.
» TSU dominated the turnover battle, forcing 24 UMKC giveaways while committing only 14.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 24 turnovers.
» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Gia Adams led the Lady Tigers with a game-high 27 points.
» Tennessee State got a team-high 10 rebounds from Sierra McCullough.
TSU will be back in action on Monday night, as Trevecca Nazarene is set to drive across town for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with the Tigers.
