NASHVILLE — Travis Harper II and Jalen Pitre each recorded double-doubles to help lead the Tennessee State men's basketball team past the Fisk Bulldogs 101-50 in the season opener at the Gentry Center on Monday.

The Tigers (1-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Carlous Williams, who had 15 points. Harper II added a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds and Aaron Nkrumah chipped in as well with 13 points, seven assists and three steals.

Tennessee State shared the ball well in Monday's game, racking up 22 assists on 39 made field goals. Nkrumah's seven assists paced the Tigers and Dante Harris also helped out with three assists of his own.

The Tennessee State defense was a problem in Monday's game, forcing 22 Fisk turnovers while committing 21. Those takeaways turned into 23 points on the other end of the floor. Nkrumah's three steals led the way individually for the Tigers.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 16-12 advantage, Tennessee State went on a 16-0 run with 12:59 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Harris, to increase its lead to 32-12. The Tigers then added 11 points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 47-16 advantage. Tennessee State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 28 of its 47 points close to the basket.

Following intermission, Tennessee State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 74-42 before going on a 10-0 run, finished off by Travis Harper Ii's jumper, to grow the lead to 84-42 with 6:01 to go in the contest. The Tigers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 101-50 win. Tennessee State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 21 of its 54 total points.

Game Notes

» Tennessee State got double-doubles from both Travis Harper II and Jalen Pitre.
» Tennessee State lit it up from three point land, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» The Tigers held the Bulldogs to only 27.3 percent shooting from the field.
» Tennessee State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Tennessee State tallied 22 total assists in the game.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by scoring 33 points to its scoring output.
» Every Tennessee State starter scored in double figures.
» Five Tennessee State players scored 10 or more points.
» Tennessee State had a 63-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 22 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 19 offensive boards in the game.
» Carlous Williams and Travis Harper II led the Tigers with a game-high 15 points apiece.
» Travis Harper II nabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to lead Tennessee State and Jalen Pitre contributed 12.