NASHVILLE – Tennessee State women's basketball showed strong stretches on both ends of the floor Sunday afternoon, taking a 34–28 lead into halftime and battling throughout before ultimately dropping a hard-fought 63–55 road decision at Lipscomb.
The Lady Tigers (1–7) were paced by another standout performance from Aaniya Webb, who poured in 16 points and added two steals as she continued her steady offensive rhythm. Erin Martin gave TSU a major spark off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds, while Brianna Wooldridge controlled the paint with nine points, seven boards and two blocks.
TSU's effort on the offensive glass was one of the bright spots of the day. Led by Kiki Roberts and her five offensive rebounds, the Lady Tigers attacked the boards with energy, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second-chance points — a category TSU dominated.
Defensively, Tennessee State put together one of its stronger outings of the season, holding Lipscomb to just 36.2 percent shooting from the field and a cold 21.7 percent from three-point range.
The Lady Tigers will look to build on the positives from Sunday's performance as they continue their road stretch.
How It Happened
Tennessee State got off to a slow start offensively, until Brianna Wooldridge sparked a 7-4 run to end the first quarter up 10-9.
The Lady Tigers responded with their best stretch of the game to open the second period, erupting for a 6–0 run highlighted by buckets from Xai Whitfield, Aaniya Webb, and Wooldridge to make it 25-19 halfway through the second quarter. TSU controlled much of the quarter with solid execution and transition play, heading into halftime with a 34-28 advantage thanks to continued defensive pressure.
Lipscomb rallied in the third, using a late push to take a 46-43 lead entering the final quarter. A pair of free throws from Erin Martin, a forced turnover, and a bucket from Whitfield, and the Lady Tigers regained the lead early in the fourth. The teams traded leads before a late Bison layup lifted Lipscomb passed the Lady Tigers.
Game Notes
» The Lady Tigers held the Bisons to only 36.2 percent shooting from the field.
» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording nine blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Aaniya Webb led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.
» Tennessee State got a team-high 10 rebounds from Kiki Roberts.
