62
TSU
72
Winner Linden
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSU | 34 | 28 | 62 |
| Linden | 29 | 43 | 72 |
Turnovers in the second proved to be the Tigers’ undoing as they committed 10 turnovers in the game’s final 20 minutes, which helped fuel a second-half surge from the Lions, as Lindenwood handed the Tigers a 72-62 defeat.
The Tigers got off to a solid start connecting on 6 of their first 10 field goal attempts to build an early 16-5 lead on Antoine Lorick III’s jumper at the 12:25 mark of the first half. TSU stayed out in front for the rest of the first half, with Lindenwood slicing the deficit to four points at 22-18 on Anias Futrell’s three-pointer at the 7:56 mark. Tennessee State extended the back to double-digits via an 8-2 spurt that made the score 30-20. Josh Ogundele’a jumper gave TSU a 34-24 lead with 2:16 left in the first half. Lindenwood tacked on five unanswered points to slice the Tennessee State lead in half to 34-29 at the half.
It took Lindenwood just 1:51 to erase that halftime deficit, taking a 35-34 lead on the second of a pair of Nathan Johnson Jr free throws. Tennessee State spent the rest of the playing uphill, falling behind by as much as 11 points when Jalen Bouknight connected from downtown to make the score 55-44 with 9:47 left in the contest. Tennessee State drew as close as four points at 59-55 but was unable to make further headway, and ultimately tasted a 10-point final deficit, 72-62.
Josh Ogundele, Travis Harper II, and Brandon Weston each scored a team-high 14 points; Aaron Nkrumah was the other Tiger in double figures with 10 points.
Anias Futrell led the way for Lindenwood with 24 points and 10 rebounds; Nathan Johnson Jr added 11 points and 7 boards, while Markieth Browning II chipped in 10 points and 4 assists.
Up next for Coach Brian Collins’ club is a meeting with Western Illinois on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
