NASHVILLE —The Tennessee State women's basketball team fought back from an 11-point deficit at 39-28 with 8:59 remaining in the third quarter to defeat Morehead State 72-61 at home Thursday. 

The Tigers (9-20, 5-14 OVC) had two players score in double figures, led by Aaniya Webb, who had 26 points and three steals. Somah Kamara tacked on 14 points and five steals and Lyric Cole added eight points, 11 rebounds and two steals.

Cole pulled down six offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Tennessee State, grabbing 17 boards and turning them into 20 second chance points.

Tennessee State's defense held Morehead State to only 39.3 percent shooting from the field, including 26.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Tigers also limited Kate Novik to 4-of-15 shooting in the game.

How It Happened

Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 26-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Tennessee State then cut the Eagles lead to 32-16 before going on a 7-0 run to narrow its deficit to 32-23. The Tigers were unable to narrow the gap any further, but did not lose ground either and entered halftime with a 37-28 deficit.

After intermission, Tennessee State cut its deficit to 48-41 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Xaionna Whitfield, to trim its deficit to 48-47 with 3:45 to go in the third. Morehead State countered and stretched its lead to 53-49 heading into the fourth. Tennessee State took advantage of eight Morehead State turnovers in the quarter, scoring 14 points off of takeaways.

Tennessee State kept the Eagles from increasing their lead before going on a 14-0 run, finished off by Webb's layup, to seize a 69-59 lead with 45 seconds to go in the contest. The Tigers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 72-61 win. Tennessee State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 23 points in the paint.

Game Notes
» The Tigers rallied from a four-point 53-49 third quarter deficit to pick up the win.
» Tennessee State rallied from a nine-point 37-28 halftime deficit to pick up the win.
» The Tigers held the Eagles to only 39.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Tigers turned 27 turnovers into 32 points on the offensive end.
» The Tigers forced 27 Morehead State turnovers while committing only 11 on the other end.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 27 turnovers.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Aaniya Webb led the Tigers with a game-high 26 points.
» Lyric Cole and Kiki Roberts led Tennessee State with a game-high 11 rebounds each.