From tsutigers.com :
TENNESSEE STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL (8-17, 5-8 OVC)
at Jacksonville State (18-8, 10-3 OVC)Date: Saturday, Feb. 16
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Pete Mathews Coliseum – Jacksonville, Ala.
Notes: TSU
Live Video: ESPN+
Radio: 102.1 The Ville || Greg Pogue (pbp) and Albert Dawson (analysis) on the call
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Social Media Updates: Twitter || #BigBlueRising
OPENING TIP: The Tennessee State men’s basketball team heads to Jacksonville, Ala. to close the week with a matchup against Jacksonville State. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. in the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Jacksonville State received 20 votes in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll. As the only team to beat one of the OVC’s conference leaders, Belmont, JSU is 10-3 against league teams, suffering losses to Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay and most recently UT Martin. The Gamecocks have three players averaging double-digit points led by Jason Burnell who averages 15.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.04 assists per game.
LAST TIME OUT: Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey (DFD) led the Tigers with 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals in Thursday night’s 77-66 loss to Belmont in Gentry Center.
A first half riddled with 21 missed shots hurt Tennessee State as the Bruins shot 51.6 percent from the field heaving them to a 41-30 lead at the break.
A locker room speech lit a fire under the Tigers as Big Blue came out hot scoring 17 points in the first four minutes. Belmont’s Kevin McClain and Windler answered with a combined 27 points hoisting the Bruins to its 11th Ohio Valley Conference win of the season.
LAST MATCHUP WITH JACKSONVILLE STATE: Nashville-native Tripp Davis led the Tigers for the fourth time this season scoring 19 points, (11-of-12) from the free throw line and (2-of-6) from three-point distance.
Two Tigers, who sat out last season, recorded career-highs, including Dave Morris, a redshirt-freshman guard from Erie, Pennsylvania, with 14 points and DaJion Henderson, a redshirt-junior forward, with seven points.
The Gamecocks shot 22-of-28 from the charity stripe, which would turn into game-deciding trips as TSU shot 18-of-20 from the line.
NATIONALLY RANKED: The Tigers are ranked in the top 100 in three categories:
- 47 in turnovers forced
- 46 in total steals
- 57 in steals per game
UP NEXT: The Tigers return home to host SIUE, Feb. 21 for a 7:30 p.m. game in Gentry Center.
