The Tennessee State Lady Tigers overcame a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to defeat Southeast Missouri State 76-72 and notch their first OVC win of the season.
The Lady Tigers tied the game at 5, 8, 10, 12, and 14, but were unable to get over the hump and trailed 22-21 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Tigers continued to work from underneath in the second quarter drawing with a single point on multiple occasions. Erin Martin knocked down a three-pointer that gave the Lady Tigers their first lead of the afternoon at 37-35 with 0:45 left in the half. However, their time in front was short-lived as Kearra Jones’ outback as time expired tied the game at 37 at halftime.
The Redhawks seized control in the third quarter, leading for the entire frame. SEMO pushed their advantage to double digits for the first time in the contest on a Charmen Taylor’s jumper that made the score 58-48 at the 1:52 mark of the period. The Redhawks took a 58-50 lead into the game’s final frame.
SEMO took their biggest lead of the game at 63-50 on Raissa Nsabua’s jumper with 8:01 remaining. A 16-3 spurt over the subsequent 5:17 knotted the game at 66. Sadie Sanchez’s three-pointer put the Lady Tigers up 69-66, their first lead since the second quarter. The Redhawks pulled to within a bucket on multiple occasions but a pair of free throws from Xai Whitfield pushed the TSU advantage to 76-72 with 0:18, effectively sealing the game for the Lady Tigers.
Xai Whitfield led four Lady Tigers in double figures with 22 points. Sadie Sanchez added 15 points, Brianna Woodbridge scored 14 points and added 9 rebounds and Amiya Ferguson contributed 10 points.
Up next for the Lady Tigers is a meeting with Tennessee Tech on December 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm CST.
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | SEMO | TSU |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .365 | .519 |
| 3FG% | .227 | .450 |
| FT% | .875 | .550 |
| RB | 36 | 33 |
| TO | 16 | 20 |
| STL | 8 | 9 |
