COOKEVILLE, TN - The Tennessee State women's basketball team went into halftime beating Tennessee Tech 38-37, but could not hang on in the second half and fell 83-76 to the Golden Eagles on the road Saturday.
The Lady Tigers (7-10, 2-4) had four players score double figures, led by Saniah Parker, who scored 14 points. Ashley Malone tacked on 14 points off the bench and Gia Adams chipped in as well with 12 points and four assists.
Kianni Westbrook pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Tennessee State, grabbing 14 boards and turning them into 11 second-chance points.
The Tennessee State defense was a problem in Saturday's game, forcing 13 Tennessee Tech turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 15 points on the offensive end of the floor. Kennedy Davis led the way individually for the Lady Tigers with three steals.
How It Happened
After playing to a 2-2 tie early in the game, Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run with 8:01 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Erica Haynes-Overton, to take a 9-2 lead. The Lady Tigers then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter-break with a 25-16 advantage. Tennessee State did most of its first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring 16 of its 25 points close to the basket.
The Lady Tigers maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 38-37 edge. Tennessee State saw non-starters score six of its 13 total points off the bench in the quarter.
Tennessee Tech then took a 55-48 lead following intermission before Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Malone, to tie things up at 55 with 56 seconds to go in the third. The Lady Tigers could not advance their rally further as the Golden Eagles took a 60-57 lead into the fourth quarter. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 19 points in the paint.
Tennessee State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 83-76. Tennessee State took advantage of four Tennessee Tech turnovers in the quarter, scoring seven points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 26 points to its scoring output.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Saniah Parker and Ashley Malone led the Lady Tigers with 14 points each.
» Tennessee State got a game-high 10 rebounds from Lyric Cole.
Up Next
TSU will be back in action on Thursday evening as they are set to host Eastern Illinois. Tip-off from the Gentry Center is slated for 5:30 p.m.
