The Tennessee State women’s basketball team out-rebounded the UT Martin Skyhawks 30-24, but fell 75-59 on the road Thursday.
The Lady Tigers (11-16, 6-10) had three players score in double figures, led by Gia Adams, who had 14 points. Erica Haynes-Overton added 12 points and three steals and Kianni Westbrook chipped in as well with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Tennessee State pulled down 30 rebounds in Thursday’s game compared to UT Martin’s 24, led by Westbrook’s eight boards. The Lady Tigers also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 13 rebounds into 11 second-chance points.
Tennessee State forced 20 UT Martin turnovers. The Lady Tigers turned those takeaways into 16 points on the offensive end of the floor. Haynes-Overton’s three steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
Tennessee State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 17-11 at the end of the first quarter.
UT Martin kept adding to that lead, building a 22-15 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Lyric Cole, to narrow its deficit to 22-21. UT Martin responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Lady Tigers trailing 34-28 heading into halftime.
UT Martin continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 47-30 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Adams, to trim its deficit to 47-37 with 3:55 to go in the third. UT Martin countered and stretched its lead to 58-37 heading into the fourth. Tennessee State took advantage of two UT Martin turnovers in the quarter, scoring three points off of takeaways.
Tennessee State narrowed its deficit in the fourth quarter, but could not get over the hump, losing 75-59. Tennessee State pulled down six offensive rebounds to score five second chance points out of 22 total in the period
Game Notes
» Tennessee State lost despite a 30-24 rebounding advantage.» The Tennessee State defense forced 20 turnovers.» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.» Gia Adams led the Lady Tigers with 14 points.» Tennessee State got a game-high eight rebounds from Kianni Westbrook.
Up Next
TSU will close out its regular season on Saturday afternoon as they are set to host USI for senior day. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m.
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