title image via Tennessee State Basketball
Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics
74
Southern Ind. 6-17,3-7 OVC
79
Winner Tennessee St. 13-10,6-4 OVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Ind. | 38 | 36 | 74 |
| Tennessee St. | 36 | 43 | 79 |
The Tennessee State men’s basketball team got a 50-point performance from the bench on the way to a 79-74 win over the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles at home Saturday.
The Tigers (13-10, 6-4) had four players score in double figures, led by Ej Bellinger, who had 21 points and six rebounds. Jaylen Jonestacked on 16 points and five assists from the bench and Jason Jitoboh helped out with 12 points and three blocks.
Tennessee State did a great job disrupting Southern Indiana shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Jitoboh’s three rejections led the way individually for the Tigers.
How It Happened
After falling behind 37-31, Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run with 1:30 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Jones, to narrow its deficit to 37-36. Southern Indiana answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Tigers down 38-36 entering halftime.
The Tigers rallied in the second half, outscoring Southern Indiana 43-36 and overtaking the Screaming Eagles to grab the 79-74 victory. Tennessee State capitalized on eight Southern Indiana turnovers in the period, collecting 12 points off those turnovers.
Game Notes» The Tigers shot well from three-point range, knocking down six of 13 long-range attempts.
» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 50 points to its scoring output.
» Ej Bellinger and Jaylen Jones came off the bench to score 21 and 16 points, respectively.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 20 turnovers.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Ej Bellinger led the Tigers with 21 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high six rebounds from Ej Bellinger.
Next Up
The Tigers will be back in action as they are slated to hit the road to Missouri for two games next week, beginning with Lindenwood on Thursday evening.
Next Game: at Lindenwood 2/8/2024 | 7:30 PM ESPN+ WNSR — 560 AM, 95.9 FM (Nashville), 107.9 FM (Smyrna)
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | USI | TSU |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .408 | .500 |
| 3FG% | .429 | .462 |
| FT% | .667 | .750 |
| RB | 39 | 24 |
| TO | 20 | 13 |
| STL | 6 | 10 |
