title image via Tennessee State Basketball
Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics
72
Winner TSU
52
WIU
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSU | 39 | 33 | 72 |
| WIU | 19 | 33 | 52 |
Ronald Jessamy led the Tennessee State men’s basketball team with a team-high 16 points in a 72-52 win over Western Illinois on Saturday.
The Tigers (6-11, 2-4 OVC) got a 24-point performance from their bench and had two players score in double figures, led by Jessamy, added eight rebounds and five blocks. Josh Ogundele added 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals and Brandon Weston added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Tennessee State did an excellent job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 18 assists while turning the ball over nine times. Individually, Justus Jackson was on top of the distribution list for the Tigers with five assists. Aaron Nkrumah also contributed with four assists of his own.
The Tennessee State defense held Western Illinois shooters to only 32.7 percent from the field. The Tigers also kept Marko Maletic to 4-of-14 shooting in the game.
How It Happened
After jumping out to an 18-10 advantage, Tennessee State went on a 9-0 run with 6:52 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Antoine Lorick Iii, to increase its lead to 27-10. The Tigers then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 39-19 advantage. Tennessee State capitalized on eight Western Illinois turnovers in the period, turning them into 15 points on the other end of the floor.
Tennessee State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Travis Harper Ii’s three, to grow the lead to 49-22 with 16:21 to go in the contest. The Leathernecks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still cruised the rest of the way for the 72-52 win. Tennessee State took care of business in the paint, recording 22 of its 33 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» The Tigers shot well from three point range, knocking down seven of 16 long range attempts.
» The Tigers held the Leathernecks to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field.
» Tennessee State never trailed on the way to a 72-52 victory.
» Tennessee State recorded 18 total assists in the game.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 24 points to its scoring output.
» Tennessee State had a 34-32 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State turned the ball over nine times while dishing out 18 assists.
» Ronald Jessamy led the Tigers with 16 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high eight rebounds from both Josh Ogundele and Ronald Jessamy.
