title image via TSU Tigers
Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics
75
Winner UTM
69
TSU
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTM | 19 | 23 | 13 | 20 | 75 |
| TSU | 14 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 69 |
The Tennessee State women’s basketball team had 10 fewer turnovers than UT Martin but fell 75-69 to the Skyhawks at home Thursday.
The Tigers (3-8, 0-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Sanaa’ St. Andre, who had 17 points and three steals. Zyion Shannonadded 14 points and six rebounds from the bench and Eboni Williams helped out with 12 points.
Caitlin Anderson pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Tennessee State, grabbing 18 boards and turning them into 15 second-chance points.
Tennessee State forced 23 UT Martin turnovers while committing 13 themselves in Thursday’s game. The Tigers turned those takeaways into 27 points on the other end of the floor. St. Andre’s three steals led the way for Tennessee State.
How It Happened
After falling behind 16-6, Tennessee State went on a 6-0 run with 2:18 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Shannon, to narrow its deficit to 16-12. UT Martin answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Tigers down 19-14 entering the second quarter.
UT Martin kept adding to that lead, building a 37-21 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Diamond Cannon, to narrow its deficit to 37-27. UT Martin responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Tigers trailing 42-31 heading into halftime.
Following halftime, Tennessee State kept the Skyhawks from growing their lead before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Saniah Parker, to trim its deficit to 44-39 with 6:37 to go in the third. UT Martin countered and stretched its lead to 55-49 heading into the fourth. Tennessee State played well near the basket, scoring 16 of its 18 points in the paint.
UT Martin kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 75-64 advantage before Tennessee State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by St. Andre’s three, to shrink the deficit to 75-69 with 22 seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Tennessee State got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 13 of its 20 total points.
Game Notes
» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 37 points to its scoring output.
» Sanaa’ St. Andre and Zyion Shannon came off the bench to score 17 and 14 points, respectively.
» The Tigers dominated the turnover battle, forcing 23 UT Martin giveaways while committing only 13.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 18 offensive boards in the game.
» Sanaa’ St. Andre led the Tigers with 17 points.
» Tennessee State got six rebounds from both Zyion Shannon and Diamond Cannon.
Next Up
TSU will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they are set to host Little Rock. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Next Game: Little Rock 12/30/2023 | 1:00 PM ESPN+
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | UTM | TSU |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .414 | .400 |
| 3FG% | .421 | .364 |
| FT% | .864 | .714 |
| RB | 47 | 34 |
| TO | 23 | 13 |
| STL | 6 | 11 |
