By Nick Guerriero Tennessee State Athletic Communications,
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee State men’s basketball team shot 56 percent from deep on the way to a 94-69 victory against the Little Rock Trojans at home Saturday.
The Tigers (9-6, 1-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Marcus Fitzgerald Jr., who had 27 points and seven rebounds. Jr. Clay added 21 points, eight assists and three steals and Dedric Boyd helped out with 14 points.
Tennessee State utilized great ball movement in Saturday’s game, piling up 16 assists on 33 made field goals. Clay’s eight assists led the distribution list for the Tigers.
The Tennessee State defense caused its share of mistakes in Saturday’s game, forcing 14 Little Rock turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 10 points on the offensive end of the floor. Clay’s three steals led the way individually for the Tigers.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 15-7 advantage, Tennessee State went on an 11-0 run with 11:46 left in the first half to increase its lead to 26-7. The Tigers then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 45-26 advantage. Tennessee State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down seven shots to account for 21 of its 45 points.
Following intermission, Tennessee State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 71-47 before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 77-47 with 8:39 to go in the contest. The Trojans narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Tigers still cruised the rest of the way for the 94-69 win. Tennessee State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 49 points.
Game Notes
» The Tigers made over half of their attempts from three-point range, knocking down 14 of 25 shots.
» Tennessee State never trailed on the way to a 94-69 victory.
» Tennessee State tallied 16 total assists in the game.
» Tennessee State had a 36-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Tennessee State defense forced 14 turnovers.
» The Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. had a game-high 27 points and Jr. Clay added 21.
» Tennessee State got a game-high eight rebounds from Zool Kueth.
