title image courtesy of Tennessee State Basketball
65
Winner Tennessee St. 14-10,7-4 OVC
55
Lindenwood 8-16,2-9 OVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee St. | 28 | 37 | 65 |
| Lindenwood | 27 | 28 | 55 |
SAINT CHARLES, Mo. – The Tennessee State men’s basketball team got a 36-point performance from the bench on the way to a 65-55 victory over the Lindenwood Lions on the road Thursday.
The Tigers (14-10, 7-4) had three players score in double figures, led by Ej Bellinger, who had 13 points and six rebounds. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. tacked on 12 points from the bench and Kinyon Hodges chipped in as well with 10 points, nine rebounds and two steals.
Led by Michael Shanks’ two offensive rebounds, Tennessee State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in seven second-chance points.
Tennessee State did a great job disrupting Lindenwood shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Jason Jitoboh’s four rejections led the way individually for the Tigers.
How It Happened
Tennessee State started off strong, putting together a 28-27 lead heading into halftime. Tennessee State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 28 points. Fitzgerald Jr. knocked down three first-half threes.
The Tigers coasted to the win from there, increasing their margin of victory by outscoring the Lions 37-28 in the second half. Tennessee State took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 37 points in the lane.
Game Notes» The Tigers held the Lions to only 30.2 percent shooting from the field.
» Tennessee State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Tennessee State bench made an impact by adding 36 points to its scoring output.
» Ej Bellinger and Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. came off the bench to score 13 and 12 points, respectively.
» Tennessee State had a 39-28 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 15 turnovers.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Ej Bellinger led the Tigers with 13 points.
» Tennessee State got a game-high nine rebounds from Kinyon Hodges.
Next Up
The Tigers will continue their two-game road trip with a contest at SEMO on Saturday. Tip-off from the Show-Me Center is set for 3:45 p.m.
Next Game: at SEMO 2/10/2024 | 3:45 PM ESPN+ WNSR — 560 AM, 95.9 FM (Nashville), 107.9 FM (Smyrna)
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | TSU | Linden |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .429 | .302 |
| 3FG% | .375 | .273 |
| FT% | .810 | .722 |
| RB | 39 | 28 |
| TO | 17 | 15 |
| STL | 7 | 9 |
