Spurred by efficient offense, the Tennessee State Tigers were able handily to defeat Western Illinois 90-68 Thursday night.
The Tigers shot 55.7% (34-61)from the floor, 41.2% (7-17)from downtown however mystifyingly connected on just 65.2% (15-23) from the charity stripe, a far cry from the 74% they typically shoot as a team.
After being tied early on at 8 and 10 apiece, Tennessee State reclaimed the lead at 12-10 on Khalil London’s layup at the 13:00 mark. TSU would build on that advantage, with a 12-4 spurt taking the lead to double digits for the first time on the evening at 24-14. Shooting a scorching 60% from the floor in the half, TSU took a 42-28 lead heading into halftime.
The Leathernecks played from underneath for the entirety of the second half, drawing as close as 13 points on multiple occasions but each time the Tigers were able to stave off the would-be Leatherneck come back bid. Tennessee State pushed their lead to 20 points for the first time on the evening when at 69-49 on a Dante Harris free throw at the 9:45 mark. The Tigers’ lead would never fall below 20 points and ballooned to as much as 28 points on the way to the 90-68 victory.
TSU maintained its shooting eye in the second half, connecting on 51.6% (16-31) from the floor and 40% (4-10) from the land of three. They got back on track from the free throw line, converting 80% (12-15)of their attempts.
Travis Harper II put together another strong outing, scoring 23 points, which was his fourth consecutive game of scoring 20 or more points. Harper II has shot 55% (20-36) from downtown over that time span. Khalil London with 15 points and Antione Lorick III, 13, were the other Tigers in double figures.
Winners of three straight, Tennessee State is now 10-5 overall and 4-1 within the OVC. The Tigers continue their Illinois road trip with a matchup with Eastern Illinois on January 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 pm CST.
