NASHVILLE – Tennessee State women's basketball continues Ohio Valley Conference play on Thursday as the Lady Tigers travel to Macomb, Illinois, to take on Western Illinois at 5 p.m. TSU enters the matchup looking to build on lessons learned through the opening stretch of league play while continuing to show growth in rebounding, defensive pressure, and balanced production.

The Lady Tigers are fully settled into conference competition and have leaned on interior toughness, bench contributions, and defensive energy as they look to put together a complete road performance against a familiar OVC opponent.

LAST TIME OUT

Tennessee State is coming off a road contest at Little Rock on Saturday. The Lady Tigers showed early composure, jumping out to a 10–7 lead midway through the first quarter and closing the opening frame within two points. TSU's bench accounted for 19 points, with Icesis Thomas leading the way with seven points and Amiyah Ferguson adding six.

Erin Martin and Kiki Roberts each pulled down five rebounds to pace TSU on the glass, while the Lady Tigers continued to emphasize paint touches throughout the game. The performance provided valuable reps for a young roster as conference play continues.

SERIES INFO: WESTERN ILLINOIS

Tennessee State and Western Illinois will meet for the fifth time in program history, with the all-time series tied at 2–2. Western Illinois holds a slight cumulative scoring advantage of 304–292 across the four previous meetings.

In the series, Western Illinois has averaged 76.0 points per game, while Tennessee State has averaged 73.0. With the history evenly split, Thursday's matchup presents another opportunity for the Lady Tigers to gain ground in the series and continue building momentum in league action.

TSU BY THE NUMBERS (Through 13 Games)

Aaniya Webb leads Tennessee State in scoring at 10.3 points per game and has connected on a team-high 15 three-pointers, providing perimeter scoring and spacing.

Xai Whitfield averages 8.8 points per game and leads the Lady Tigers with 37 assists, continuing to direct the offense and set the tone at the point.

Erin Martin adds 8.2 points per game and leads TSU with 65 total rebounds while anchoring the interior with a team-best 11 blocks.

Somah Kamara contributes 7.6 points per game and remains one of TSU's top defenders, ranking among the team leaders in steals.

Kiki Roberts averages 7.4 rebounds per game, giving the Lady Tigers consistent physicality and second-chance opportunities.

Kaliyah Montoya has been TSU's most efficient interior scorer, shooting a team-best 55.9 percent from the floor while averaging 6.6 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Sadie Sanchez provides scoring off the bench at 6.5 points per game and is converting 94.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Brianna Wooldridge continues to give TSU interior presence, averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest.

WHAT TO WATCH

• TSU's ability to control the glass, led by Martin, Roberts, and Wooldridge
• Ball movement and pace with Whitfield facilitating the offense
• Bench production from Sanchez, Thomas, and Ferguson
• Defensive pressure and energy as the Lady Tigers look to create transition opportunities

TIP-OFF

Thursday, January 8
5 p.m.
Macomb, Illinois