image via Tennessee State Athletics
78
TSU
83
Winner UT
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSU | 37 | 41 | 78 |
| UT | 42 | 41 | 83 |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee State men’s basketball put together a determined effort against one of the nation’s top-ranked programs Friday night, but the Tigers couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 83-78 to No. 11 Tennessee at Food City Center.
Ty-Laur Johnson led all scorers with 22 points and seven assists for Tennessee State (2-2), which continued to battle despite facing a 15-point second-half deficit.
Jayden Jones provided a major spark off the bench, scoring all 13 of his points after halftime while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Christian Alston and Arterio Morris added nine points apiece. Morris also contributed three steals and two blocks.
Tigers Battle Throughout First Half
Tennessee State came out aggressively, building an early 11-5 advantage following an Arterio Morris layup with 13:09 remaining in the first half.
After Tennessee tied the contest at 16, Johnson converted two free throws before Morris knocked down a three-pointer to put the Tigers ahead 21-16.
The Volunteers eventually responded with an 8-0 run to take control, but TSU continued to answer. Ajayi Simmons connected from beyond the arc, and Aaron Bradshaw added another three-pointer in the closing seconds of the half.
Tennessee State entered halftime trailing just 42-37.
Tennessee Creates Separation, TSU Responds
The Volunteers extended their advantage to 58-43 with 12:17 remaining in the second half.
However, the Tigers refused to go away.
Morris scored inside, Jones added a putback, and Daniel Vieira-Tuck converted a steal into a dunk as TSU trimmed the deficit to single digits.
With Tennessee leading 73-60 and fewer than five minutes remaining, the Tigers put together another push.
Johnson scored on a floater before Jones followed with consecutive layups, including one off Johnson’s seventh assist, cutting the Tennessee advantage to 73-66 with 3:38 remaining.
Johnson continued to lead the charge. After Jones added another putback, Johnson converted a three-point play with 32 seconds left to bring the Tigers within five at 78-73.
He later connected on a three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining, making it 81-76, but Tennessee held on for the five-point victory.
Johnson Leads the Way
Johnson finished with a game-high 22 points and seven assists, shooting 6-of-15 from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 at the free-throw line.
Jones contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, while Morris and Alston each finished with nine points.
Tennessee State also won several important statistical battles.
The Tigers outrebounded Tennessee 45-43, including 24 offensive rebounds. TSU also scored 24 points off Tennessee’s 17 turnovers and held a 23-10 advantage in fast-break points.
The Tigers finished with 30 bench points and outscored the Volunteers 30-24 in the paint.
Terrence Hill Jr. paced Tennessee with 19 points, while Jalen Haralson added 15 and Tyler Lundblade contributed 14.
What’s Next?
Tennessee State will look to bounce back when the Tigers travel to Tampa, Florida, to face South Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the Yuengling Center.
Final Score:
- Tennessee State: 78
- No. 11 Tennessee: 83
