NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State women's basketball team had 10 fewer turnovers than SIU-Edwardsville in a 75-65 victory against the Cougars at home Saturday.
The Tigers (9-17, 6-10) had four players score in double figures, led by Sanaa' St. Andre, who had 24 points and six rebounds. Saniah Parker tacked on 16 points and three blocks and Eboni Williams helped out with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Led by Williams' five offensive rebounds, Tennessee State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 15 boards that resulted in 11 second-chance points.
Tennessee State's defense held SIU-Edwardsville to only 38.3 percent shooting from the field.
How It Happened
Tennessee State entered the second quarter tied at 19-19 after a tightly contested first period. Tennessee State capitalized on six SIU-Edwardsville turnovers in the period, turning them into seven points on the other end of the floor.
The Tigers proceeded to outscore the Cougars 18-16 in the second quarter to take a 37-35 halftime lead. Tennessee State dominated in the paint, scoring 10 of its 18 points close to the basket.
Tennessee State wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Williams, to expand its lead further to 43-35 with 8:23 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Tigers added two points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 56-46 edge. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 19 points in the paint.
Tennessee State kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by St. Andre's layup, to grow the lead to 68-55 with 2:35 to go in the contest. The Cougars narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still cruised the rest of the way for the 75-65 win. Tennessee State pulled down five offensive rebounds to score five second chance points out of 19 total in the period
Game Notes
» Eboni Williams notched a double-double for the Tigers with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
» The Tigers held the Cougars to only 38.3 percent shooting from the field.
» Tennessee State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Tigers forced 26 SIU-Edwardsville turnovers while committing only 16 on the other end.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 26 turnovers.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording six blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Sanaa' St. Andre led the Tigers with a game-high 24 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Eboni Williams.
Next Up
TSU will hit the road for two games next week at Little Rock and UT Martin. The Tigers will take on Little Rock on Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
