NASHVILLE - Saniah Parker hit a game-tying shot with 20 seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime and Caitlin Anderson put the Tennessee State women's basketball team ahead for good with 2:04 to go the extra period to give the Tigers an 83-78 win over the Little Rock Trojans at home Saturday.
The Tigers (4-8, 1-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Anderson, who had 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Sanaa' St. Andre tacked on 15 points and two steals and Zyion Shannon helped out with 12 points and two steals off the bench.
Tennessee State out-rebounded Little Rock 37-36 in Saturday's game, paced by seven boards from Lyric Cole. The Tigers also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and scored 14 second-chance points.
Tennessee State forced 23 Little Rock turnovers while committing 16 themselves in Saturday's game. The Tigers turned those takeaways into 26 points on the offensive end of the floor. Saniah Parker's three steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 20-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Tennessee State then cut the Trojans lead to 32-24 before going on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Cole, to narrow its deficit to 32-31. The Tigers kept the rally going and overtook the Trojans on a three from Aaniya Webb with 00:11 left for a 36-34 halftime advantage. Tennessee State dominated in the paint, scoring 14 of its 26 points close to the basket.
Tennessee State then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Trojans 53-47 entering the fourth. Tennessee State's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled six of the team's 11 third-quarter points.
Little Rock kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 68-61 advantage before Tennessee State went on an 8-0 run to seize a 69-68 lead with 1:22 to go in the fourth. The Trojans then fought back to even things up at 71-71 and sent the game to overtime. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 24 points in the paint.
Little Rock then snagged a 77-75 advantage with 2:11 left in the first overtime before Tennessee State responded by going on a 5-0 run to seize an 80-77 lead with 1:12 to go in the period. The Tigers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 83-78 win.
Game Notes
» The Tigers rallied from a six-point 53-47 third-quarter deficit to force the game into overtime.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by scoring 26 points to its scoring output.
» Tennessee State had a 37-36 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Caitlin Anderson led the Tigers with 17 points.
» Tennessee State got seven rebounds from both Lyric Cole and Aaniya Webb.
Next Up
The Tigers will be back in action next week as they are set to hit the road for two OVC games. TSU will be at Southern Indiana for a 5:00 p.m. tip on Thursday.
