MACOMB, IL --The Tennessee State women's basketball team got a 27-point performance from the bench, but fell 88-67 to the Western Illinois Leathernecks on the road Saturday.
The Tigers (4-12, 0-6 OVC) had two players score in double figures, led by Angel Hill, who had 14 points. Aaniya Webb added 13 points and three steals and Erin Martin added eight points and four steals.
Tennessee State out-rebounded Western Illinois 37-33 in Saturday's game, led by nine boards from Kiki Roberts. The Tigers also pulled down 16 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second chance points.
Tennessee State forced 18 Western Illinois turnovers. The Tigers turned those takeaways into 20 points on the other end of the floor. Martin's four steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 23-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 44-24 halftime deficit.
Western Illinois continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 51-26 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Webb, to trim its deficit to 51-31 with 6:43 to go in the third. The Tigers were unable to cut further into the deficit, but did not cede ground to Western Illinois either and entered the fourth quarter trailing 64-44. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.
Tennessee State came out of the third quarter break clicking on all cylinders, going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Somah Kamara's layup, to shrink the deficit to 64-52 with 7:06 to go in the contest. Western Illinois responded and outscored the Tigers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 88-67. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 23 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 27 points to its scoring output.
» Tennessee State lost despite a 37-33 rebounding advantage.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Angel Hill led the Tigers with 14 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high nine rebounds from Kiki Roberts.
