NASHVILLE — Antoine Lorick III scored 24 points and Aaron Nkrumah added 23 as Tennessee State defeated Eastern Illinois 77-68 on Thursday night at the Gentry Center. The Tigers never trailed after halftime and used defense and late free throws to secure the Ohio Valley Conference victory.
The Tigers (15-8, 9-4) had two players score in double figures, led by Lorick III, who had 24 points and five steals. Nkrumah tacked on 23 points and Dante Harris added seven points, 10 assists and two steals. Nkrumah also pulled down five rebounds while Lorick shot 8-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.
Tennessee State shared the ball well in Thursday's game, racking up 15 assists on 26 made field goals. Harris' 10 assists paced the Tigers.
Tennessee State forced 17 Eastern Illinois turnovers while committing only seven themselves in Thursday's game. The Tigers turned those takeaways into 19 points on the other end of the floor and added 18 fast-break points. Lorick III's five steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
Tennessee State started off strong, putting together a 33-30 lead heading into halftime. Tennessee State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 26 of its 33 points close to the basket.
Eastern Illinois briefly took a second-half lead, but Tennessee State answered and expanded its advantage to 64-60 before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 70-60 with 1:19 to go in the contest. The Tigers then closed the game at the free throw line, shooting 17-of-20 in the second half. The Panthers narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still cruised the rest of the way for the 77-68 win.
Game Notes
» Tennessee State recorded 15 total assists in the game.
» Antoine Lorick III and Aaron Nkrumah carried the load for the Tigers, accounting for 61 percent of their points.
» Dante Harris racked up 10 assists for Tennessee State.
» The Tigers forced 17 Eastern Illinois turnovers while committing only seven on the other end.
» Tennessee State finished with 40 points in the paint and 18 fast-break points.
» Tennessee State shot 21-of-27 from the free throw line, including 85 percent in the second half.
» The Tigers held the lead for more than 32 minutes of game time.
» Antoine Lorick III had a game-high 24 points and Aaron Nkrumah added 23.
» Tennessee State got a team-high five rebounds from Aaron Nkrumah.
