Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee State men’s basketball team suffered an 80-74 overtime loss to Tennessee Tech on Thursday night at the Gentry Center. Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a team-high 19 points for the Tigers with Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) adding his ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 17 rebounds.
TSU (12-7, 3-3 OVC) forced overtime on a free throw by Christian Mekowulu (Lagos, Nigeria) with 11.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 64-64. In a high-scoring five minute overtime period, Tennessee Tech (8-13, 4-2 OVC) outscored TSU by a 16-10 margin to earn the road win.
Delano Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.) also scored in double figures, tallying 15 points on the night for TSU, which forced 20 TTU turnovers.
McCall scored eight of TSU’s first 12 points on the night as the Tigers held a slight 12-9 lead eight minutes into the game.
After the Golden Eagles scored seven in a row to take a 16-12 lead, the Tigers answered right back with an 8-0 run of their own to retake the edge at 20-16 with 8:30 left until halftime.
The lead quickly went back to the visitors as Tennessee Tech took a 32-29 halftime lead. The Tigers forced 10 first half turnovers, but TTU’s defense limited TSU to 28.6 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.
Before the first media timeout of the second half, TSU took the lead back when Mekowulu took a charge, then finished a dunk off a beautiful McCall feed for a 36-34 lead.
The Golden Eagles reeled off 14 of the game’s next 16 points to put the Tigers down 10 points with 11:30 left. TSU clawed back, however, leveling the scoring at 48-48 on a layup from A’Torey Everett (Dallas, Texas) with 7:01 showing on the clock.
TSU trailed by five until a three from Spencer from the top of the key rattled home with 2:07 left to cut the Tigers’ deficit down to 60-58.
Tennessee Tech had a 64-60 lead in the final minute when McCall made his first free throw with 48.9 seconds left. Martin corralled the offensive rebound off the second free throw and finished a layup with 45.6 seconds left to put the Tigers down just one.
When the Golden Eagles missed the first end of a one-and-one, TSU drove down the court and Mekowulu was fouled on his layup attempt. Mekowulu missed the first free throw but made the second to tie the score at 64-64 with 11.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
TSU earned a stop on TTU’s final possession to force overtime with the score tied at 64-64.
Spencer drilled a corner three to kick off overtime and put the Tigers up 67-64. TSU trailed the Golden Eagles later in the frame, 73-72, before TTU hit seven free throws in the final 1:38 to secure the win.
Up next, TSU hosts Jacksonville State at the Gentry Center on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. as the second half of a basketball doubleheader.
GAME NOTES: TSU is now 31-32 in the all-time series with Tennessee Tech… The Tigers are 5-2 at home this season… Tennessee State is 0-2 in overtime games this season. Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored in double figures for the 17th time this season… Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) picked up his ninth double-double of the season and the 19th of his career… Delano Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.) posted double-digit points for the seventh time on the year.
TSU Head Coach Dana Ford
“You have to give Tennessee Tech a lot of credit. They did a great job tonight. They were very active in their zone. We could not seem to put a stop to number four. They came in our house and got us. I thought our guys tried to battle. We just have to regroup and try to get better.”
– Opening Statement
“Part of it was we missed a lot of shots around the rim and we got the offensive rebound. We had 25 offensive rebounds. I would rather have a made layup than an offensive rebound. I will have to go back and watch the tape to see how many true rebounds we had.”
– On Outrebounding Tennessee Tech
“I am just really worried about tonight. I know Jacksonville State is a really good team; they sit ahead of us in the standings. We will have our hands full again.”
– Looking ahead to Saturday
“I guess are last five games we are 3-2. We lost on the road and then again tonight at home. There are some guys who are not shooting the ball particularly well. With us it should never be a lack of confidence thing; because this should be a team thing. That is the only thing we have ever really cared about in the past. If one guy is in a slump then other guys have to step up. If one guy is in a slump then it should not matter here because it is about defense and rebounding. If you lose your confidence from defense and rebounding then you may not be able to play here.”
– On Tonight’s Struggles
“I think it starts with your heart. Then it goes to your brain. If your heart and your brain are in it, then no other body part matters. We play 10 guys. It is your heart and your brain and it is the coach’s job to figure it out.”
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