NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State women's basketball team went into the halftime break tied with UT Martin 33-33, but took control in the second half to defeat the Skyhawks 71-67 at home Thursday.
The Lady Tigers (7-9, 2-3) had three players score in double figures, led by Erica Haynes-Overton, who had 16 points and two steals. Saniah Parker tacked on 15 points and Kianni Westbrook chipped in as well with a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Tennessee State utilized great ball movement in Thursday's game, piling up 17 assists on 27 made field goals. Individually, Gia Adams lent a helping hand the most for the Lady Tigers with seven assists.
Tennessee State did a great job disrupting UT Martin shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Lyric Cole led the way individually for the Lady Tigers with two rejections.
How It Happened
After falling behind 17-10, Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run with 2:38 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 17, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Tennessee State got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for nine of its 17 total points.
UT Martin then took a 26-21 lead before Tennessee State responded by going on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a three from Parker, to take a 27-26 lead. The Skyhawks then battled back to even it up at 33-33 heading into halftime. Tennessee State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 16 points.
After intermission, UT Martin snatched a 41-39 lead before Tennessee State answered back by going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Westbrook, to grab a 45-41 lead with 44 seconds to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Lady Tigers added one point to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 48-43 edge. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 15 points in the paint.
Tennessee State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Haynes-Overton's layup, to grow the lead to 60-50 with 5:55 to go in the contest. The Skyhawks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Lady Tigers still held on for the 71-67 win. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 23 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» Kianni Westbrook notched a double-double for the Lady Tigers with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
» Tennessee State recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» Tennessee State had a 40-27 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Erica Haynes-Overton led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high 10 rebounds from Kianni Westbrook.
Up Next
The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they are set to travel to Cookeville to take on Tennessee Tech. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.
