Overcoming a very slow start and finishing with a 23-8 fourth-quarter barrage, the Tennessee State Lady Tigers were able to overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat Morehead State 72-61 to keep their OVC Tournament hopes alive.
As has been the case numerous times this season, the Lady Tigers stumbled out of the gates, shooting just 3/18 and scoring just 9 points. Meanwhile, their Morehead State opponents had no such trouble putting the ball in the basket, connecting on half of their 20 field goal attempts, and the Eagles, who never trailed in the period, took a comfortable 26-9 lead into the second quarter.
The Lady Tigers’ offense continued to sputter, they shot just 5-17 in the frame, in the second quarter. However, the Lady Tigers took advantage of 7 Morehead State turnovers, allowing them to trim the lead in half at 37-28 heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Lady Tigers would continue to chip away at the Morehead State lead, drawing to within a single point at 48-47 on XaiOnna Whitfield’s jumper with 3:45 left in the period. Morehead State outscored TSU 5–2 over the remainder of the frame, taking a 53-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Tigers tied the game at 59 with 4:38 left on a pair of Kiki Roberts free throws. The free throws were part of a 12-0 spurt that put TSU up 69-59 with just 0:45 left in the contest, as they would go on to win 72-61
Aaniyah Webb led all Lady Tigers with 26 points: Somah Kamara was the only other player in double figures with 14 points.
Michelle Ugwah and Kate Novik led Morehead State with 13 points; Crishawn Coleman added 12 points of her own.
With OVC Tournament hopes still alive, the Lady Tigers take on Southern Illinois at the Gentry Center on Saturday at 1 p.m. CST.
