image via Tennessee State Athletics
Tennessee State men’s basketball opened its 2026-27 campaign with a tough road setback, falling to Murray State 94-64 on Monday in the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Tigers (0-1) entered halftime trailing 46-35 but couldn’t keep pace with the Racers after the break. Murray State (1-0) outscored Tennessee State 48-29 in the second half to turn an 11-point halftime advantage into a 30-point victory.
Ty-Laur Johnson paced Tennessee State with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists. Deondrea Lindsey added 10 points, while Christian Alston finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Kavien Jones and Aaron Bradshaw contributed seven points apiece.
The second half proved especially difficult for the Tigers offensively. Tennessee State connected on just 6-of-29 field-goal attempts (20.7%) and 1-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc (8.3%) after halftime.
For the game, TSU shot 30.9% from the floor (17-of-55) and 22.7% from three-point range (5-of-22).
Ball security was another major issue. The Tigers committed 26 turnovers, while Murray State scored 26 points off those mistakes.
The Racers also controlled the paint, holding a 50-22 advantage in points inside.
Roman Domon led Murray State with 22 points and five rebounds. Kaden Magwood added 15 points, while Talis Soulhac and Brayden Shorter scored 13 points apiece.
Murray State shot 51.6% overall and finished the second half shooting an impressive 66.7% from the field.
Tennessee State will look to regroup and respond as it continues its 2026-27 season.
Final Score: Murray State 94, Tennessee State 64
Halftime: Murray State 46, Tennessee State 35
Records: Tennessee State (0-1), Murray State (1-0)
