NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee State women's basketball team fell short in a 66-56 loss to the Eastern Illinois Panthers at home Thursday.
The Tigers (8-17, 5-10) had four players score in double figures, led by Sanaa' St. Andre, who had 17 points. Lyric Cole added 10 points and eight rebounds and Zyion Shannon helped out with 10 points.
Led by Saniah Parker's five offensive rebounds, Tennessee State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 16 boards that resulted in 11 second-chance points.
The Tennessee State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Thursday's game, forcing 18 Eastern Illinois turnovers while committing 13. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Parker's five steals led the way individually for the Tigers.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 21-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 45-26 halftime deficit.
Following halftime, Tennessee State kept the Panthers from growing their lead before going on a 7-0 run to trim its deficit to 50-38 with 2:02 to go in the third. Eastern Illinois countered and stretched its lead to 54-38 heading into the fourth. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring six of its 12 points in the paint.
Tennessee State narrowed its deficit to 55-41 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Cole's layup, to shrink the deficit to 55-50 with 2:59 to go in the contest. Eastern Illinois responded and outscored the Tigers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 66-56. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 18 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Tennessee State defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Sanaa' St. Andre led the Tigers with 17 points.
» Tennessee State got a team-high eight rebounds from Lyric Cole.
Next Up
The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they will host SIUE for senior day. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m.
