title image via Tennessee State Basketball
Stephen Featherston, Director of Communications, Tennessee State Athletics
OPENING TIP: After picking up two wins at home last week, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team will look to do the same on the road, starting with Little Rock on national television tomorrow evening.
The Matchup:
Tennessee State Tigers (17-12, 10-6 OVC) vs. Little Rock (18-11, 12-4 OVC)
Date/Time: Thursday, February 29 at 8:00 PM CT
Location: Jack Stephens Center || Little Rock, Ark.
TV: ESPNU
Radio: WNSR — Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst)
WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN: Tune in to WNSR’s flagship network, which includes 560 AM, 95.9 FM (Nashville), and 107.9 FM (Smyrna), as well as WNSR.com, to catch TSU Basketball. The broadcast is also globally available on Sirius XM. WNSR will provide in-depth pregame coverage 15 minutes before tip-off, extensive postgame analysis, exclusive interviews with coaches and players, and behind-the-scenes content for deeper fan engagement. Greg Pogue, “The Voice of the Tigers,” returns for his 12th season, accompanied by Nashville broadcasting legend Albert Dawson. The action can also be streamed on the TSU Tigers app.
SERIES INFORMATION: This will be the 7th matchup all-time between the Tigers and the Trojans. TSU was able to even out their record against LR (3-3) with a home win earlier this season. The Tigers won 90-82 with five players scoring in double-figures, as Christian Brown led the way with 20.
SIUE NOTES & NUMBERS:
8: The number of steals that Kinyon Hodges racked up against SIUE. Hodges’ eight swipes is a new single-game TSU record, surpassing Garrett Richardson’s seven in February of 2003. He is tied for first in the OVC with 57 steals this season. His eight steals are tied for the 5th most in a single game this season among NCAA DI leaders.
10: The number of OVC wins that TSU has this season. Saturday’s victory over SIUE was the 10th conference win for head coach Brian “Penny” Collins, matching his OVC win total from last season. With two OVC games remaining, the Tigers will look to match the 2015-16 team’s 11 league wins.
BACK IN RHYTHM: Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. made his third consecutive start against SIUE on Saturday. The senior point guard, who missed time due to a hand injury logged 15 points in the win, which included a 2-of-2 mark from three. Fitzgerald Jr. played in 31 minutes and finished with two assists and three boards. His game against SIUE was his third double-digit scoring game since his return at the beginning of the month.
CUTTING THROUGH THE D: Michael Shanks had a breakout game against SIUE this past Saturday, as he led the way with 16 points for TSU. The Belmont transfer played in 29 minutes, the most he has played since UT Martin in late December. It marked his first double-digit scoring game since he logged 11 against Little Rock. Shanks was perfect from the free throw line as he went 7-of-7 from the charity strike, showing his ability to get to the rack and draw fouls.
