COOKEVILLE, TN – Tennessee State women's basketball leaned on strong bench production and a physical presence on the glass, but came up just short in a 69-63 road loss to Tennessee Tech Tuesday night at the Hooper Eblen Center.
The Lady Tigers (2-10, 1-2 OVC) received 30 points from their bench and held the Golden Eagles to just 34.3 percent shooting from the field, keeping the game within reach throughout. Tennessee State also controlled the boards, finishing with a 43-38 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.
Xai Whitfield led Tennessee State with a game-high 16 points, continuing her strong play in conference action. Erin Martin followed with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Amiyah Ferguson added seven points and seven rebounds. Brianna Wooldridge anchored the paint, pulling down 14 rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
Defensively, the Lady Tigers forced 14 Tennessee Tech turnovers and converted those into 16 points. Tennessee State stayed aggressive throughout the contest, creating extra possessions and opportunities to chip away at the Golden Eagles' lead.
How It Happened
After falling behind early, Tennessee State responded with a 5-0 run midway through the first quarter, capped by a three-pointer from Ferguson, to take a 7-4 lead. The Lady Tigers did most of their early damage inside, scoring 10 of their 13 first-quarter points in the paint, and the teams were tied 13-13 heading into the second quarter.
Tennessee Tech edged ahead in the second period, and Tennessee State went into the halftime break trailing by just two, 31-29, after another competitive quarter.
The Golden Eagles extended their lead early in the third, but the Lady Tigers answered with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 43 with under two minutes remaining in the period. Tennessee Tech closed the quarter with a late push to take a 49-43 lead into the final frame. Tennessee State again found success inside, scoring 10 of its 14 third-quarter points in the paint.
In the fourth quarter, Tennessee State continued to battle, taking advantage of five Tennessee Tech turnovers and scoring six points off those takeaways. Despite multiple stops and second-chance opportunities, the Lady Tigers were unable to close the gap, falling 69-63 at the final buzzer.
Game Notes
» Tennessee State held Tennessee Tech to 34.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Lady Tigers' bench contributed 30 points.
» Tennessee State won the rebounding battle, 43-38.
» The Lady Tigers collected 14 offensive rebounds.
» Tennessee State forced 14 turnovers and scored 16 points off takeaways.
» Xai Whitfield led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.
» Erin Martin and Amiyah Ferguson each grabbed seven rebounds.
Up Next
Tennessee State continues Ohio Valley Conference play on the road Saturday, traveling to Little Rock, Ark., to take on Little Rock. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
