MARTIN, Tenn. - Lyric Cole knocked down a shot with only six seconds left in the game to put the Tennessee State women's basketball team up for good in a 55-53 victory against the UT Martin Skyhawks on the road Saturday. The win will keep TSU's OVC tournament chances alive, as the Tigers will need Southern Indiana to defeat SEMO this evening, which will give TSU the eighth seed. 

The Tigers (10-18, 7-11) had two players score in double figures, led by Eboni Williams, who had 17 points and four steals. Zyion Shannon tacked on 14 points off of the bench and Sanaa' St. Andre added seven points and six assists.

Tennessee State utilized fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 19 assists on 23 made field goals. St. Andre's six assists were the most for the Tigers and Caitlin Anderson also added four assists of her own.

Tennessee State did a great job disrupting UT Martin shots in the contest, coming away with eight blocks. Jordan Aikens led the way individually for the Tigers with three rejections.

How It Happened

After falling behind 10-9, Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run with 1:54 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Saniah Parker, to take a 14-10 lead. The Tigers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 14-13 advantage. Tennessee State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 14 points.

The Tigers could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 28-27.

UT Martin continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 38-36 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Shannon, to grab a 42-38 lead with 2:01 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Skyhawks had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Tigers still entered the fourth quarter with a 42-40 edge. Tennessee State knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 15 total points.

UT Martin proceeded to take a 48-46 lead before Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Shannon's three, to seize a 51-48 lead with 4:06 to go in the contest. The Skyhawks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still held on for the 55-53 win. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 13 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» Lyric Cole's shot with 6 seconds left put Tennessee State ahead for good.
» The Tigers held the Skyhawks to only 36 percent shooting from the field.
» The Tigers put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 83 percent of made field goals.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 18 points to its scoring output.
» Neither team led by more than five points in the game.
» Tennessee State had a 34-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording eight blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Eboni Williams led the Tigers with a game-high 17 points.
» Tennessee State got a team-high eight rebounds from Lyric Cole.