Tennessee State snapped SIUE’s three-game win streak on Saturday afternoon, handing it a 76-71 loss at Gentry Center Complex. The Tigers (17-12,10-6 OVC) went into halftime with an 11-point lead. Despite being outscored 46-40 in the second half, they were able to fend off the Cougars (16-13,9-7 OVC) and hold on for the win.
This win was led by a balanced scoring effort for Tennessee State. Michael Shanks led the scoring with 16 points. Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. added 15, while Kinyon Hodges also contributed 11 points. The Tigers made a concerted effort to absorb contact and convert it into points. They drew 25 fouls on the defense, which led to a season-high 29 points on 74% shooting from the charity stripe. Efficiency metrics evaluated the offense at an average of 0.99 points scored per possession on 60% true shooting.
TSU in transition
SIUE was led by Damarco Minor, who scored 31 points while collecting 12 boards. As a team, the Cougars had some offensive struggles, scoring just 0.92 points per possession on 36% shooting from the field. They were heavily challenged on field goal attempts in the paint, scoring just 37% of their total points on those shot attempts near the hoop.
- Tennessee State outran SIUE, outscoring them in transition 29 to 19
- The game pace (possessions per 40 minutes) of 76.7 was a season-high for SIUE
- Kinyon Hodges recorded a game-high +9 plus-minus
Tennessee State earned a good win against a tough OVC rival. The Tigers’ next test is a matchup with Little Rock, which also won its last game, at the Jack Stephens Center on Feb. 29. This loss was a rare slip-up for SIUE, which had been playing well recently. The Cougars’ next game is against an Eastern Ill. side that is also recovering from a recent loss. They will square off on Feb. 27 at Lantz Arena.
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