CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Tennessee State women's basketball team got a 33-point performance from the bench, but fell 100-72 to the Southern Illinois Salukis on the road Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Tigers (4-4) had three players score in double figures, led by Saniah Parker, who had 16 points. Ashley Malone added 13 points and two steals and Erica Haynes-Overton chipped in as well with 12 points from the bench.
Tennessee State took advantage of excellent ball movement in Wednesday's game, piling up 16 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Zyion Shannon dished out the most for the Lady Tigers with four assists.
The Tennessee State defense caused its share of mistakes in Wednesday's game, forcing 23 Southern Illinois turnovers while committing 20. Those takeaways turned into 21 points on the other end of the floor. Shannon led the way individually for the Lady Tigers with three steals.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 26-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Tigers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 52-35 halftime deficit.
Southern Illinois continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 64-46 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Shannon, to trim its deficit to 64-51 with 4:23 to go in the third. Southern Illinois countered and stretched its lead to 75-55 heading into the fourth. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.
Tennessee State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 100-72. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 17 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Lady Tigers shared the ball well, recording an assist on 62 percent of made baskets.
» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 33 points to its scoring output.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» Saniah Parker led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.
» Tennessee State got a team-high six rebounds from Sierra McCullough.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Sunday afternoon as they are set to host Stetson. Tip-off from the Gentry Center is slated for 12:00 p.m.
