80
Tennessee St. 13-11,5-6 OVC
76
Southern Ind. 13-11,6-5 OVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee St. | 33 | 47 | 80 |
| Southern Ind. | 32 | 44 | 76 |
Spurred by hot from three-point land, the Tennessee State Tigers got a needed win over the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana, 80-76.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured 3 ties and 14 lead changes, with the largest lead by any team a 5-point advantage USI took on two separate occasions. The Tigers shot a scorcing 7-10 from downtown, but even with that hot shototing from distance, Tennessee State as unable to create any separation from their opponents , ultimately taking a one-point lead , 33-32 into halftime.
Tennessee State overall shot 44.8% from the floor in the first half, but just 6-19 on non-three-point attempts; the Tigers were able to limit the Screaming Eagles to just 37.9% efficiency from the floor in the game’s opening 20 minutes.
The second half would somewhat see the Tennessee State shooting from deep somewhat come back to Earth, as the Tigers shot just 58.3% (7-12) from the land of three , however as a whole, connected on 52% of their field goal attempts. Despite their shot making, Tennessee State would fall behind by as much as twelve points, at 54-42 on a three-pointer from Isaiah Swope with 11:38 left in the contests. Over the next 5:56 , TSU outscored USI 24-12, tying the game on the first of a pair of Marcus Fitzgerald Jr free throws and then taking a one-point lead on the second free throw.
An Isaiah Swope would pull the Screaming Eagles even at 73 with 3:02 left in the contest. TSU reclaimed the lead eighteen seconds later on a layup from Adong Makuoi. Southern Illionois would draw within three when Tyler Hnery canned another from downtown to make the score 79-76. A Jr. Clay free throw with 0:18 left would put the game out of reach and bring the game to its final count at 80-76.
Jr. Clay led five Tigers in double figures with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Dedric Boyd scored his 19 points on efficient shooting from the field, 7-10, and from distance, 5-6. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr turned in another solid outing with 17 points and 3 assists; Kueth Zool contributed 11 points and 2 rebounds , while Adong Makuoi chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds.
In a losing effort Isaiah Swope led the Screaming Eagles with 24 points.
The win, which lifts the Tigers to 13-11 overall and 5-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Up next for Tennessee State will be a Saturday matchup with Eastern Illinois; tip-off time is set for 3:30 pm CST.
Next Game: at Eastern Illinois 2/4/2023 | 3:30 PM ESPN+ 102.1 The Ville
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | TSU | USI |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .481 | .393 |
| 3FG% | .636 | .414 |
| FT% | .583 | .889 |
| RB | 36 | 36 |
| TO | 11 | 11 |
| STL | 3 | 8 |
