NASHVILLE - Ej Bellinger secured a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds to help the Tennessee State men's basketball team take down the Kentucky State Thorobreds 83-58 at home Thursday.
The Tigers (2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Bellinger, who secured a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jason Jitoboh added 18 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks and Jaylen Jones chipped in as well with 13 points and two steals from the bench.
Bellinger pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead the Tennessee State offense which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into 11 second chance points.
Tennessee State did a great job disrupting Kentucky State shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Jitoboh's three rejections led the way individually for the Tigers.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 6-4 advantage, Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run with 17:14 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Jitoboh, to increase its lead to 13-4. The Tigers then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 40-26 advantage. Tennessee State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 26 of its 40 points close to the basket.
Tennessee State kept its lead intact before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Jitoboh's layup, to grow the lead to 62-41 with 8:53 to go in the contest. The Tigers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 83-58 win. Tennessee State took care of business in the paint, recording 24 of its 43 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» Ej Bellinger notched an impressive double-double for the Tigers with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
» The Tigers held the Thorobreds to only 35.6 percent shooting from the field.
» Tennessee State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 28 points to its scoring output.
» Tennessee State had a 45-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 19 turnovers.
» The 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 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Ej Bellinger led the Tigers with a game-high 20 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Ej Bellinger.
The Tigers will be back in action on November 15 as they will head to Portland, Ore., to take on Portland.
