By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN —The Tennessee State Tigers got two victories at home Saturday, as both the men and women won their OVC games against Southeast Missouri State (SEMO). The TSU Lady Tigers got things started with an 83-64 victory that extended their OVC winning streak to four and their overall streak to six. Saniah Parker finished with a season-best 18 points, while Tatyana Davis also had 18 points and Sierra McCullough contributed nine points and seven rebounds, hitting nine of 10 free throws in 26 minutes.
The Lady Tigers controlled the boards 34-29 and blew the game open with a 51-29 second half. They lead the OVC in the early going at 4-0 and hope to continue that streak Thursday against Murray State. They are now 9-6 on the season.
Meanwhile in the second game the Tigers got their first OVC win, taking a big lead early and then maintaining it on the way to a 95-84 triumph. Marcus Fitzgerald had a season-high 23 points to lead the Tigers, who had five players in double figures. Carlos Marshall Jr. had 18 points, while Shakem Johnson tied his season-high with 16 points. The Tigers also shot extremely well, hitting over 60 percent (60.9) from the field, their second highest mark of the year. However the Tigers also nearly let a 19-point second half lead slip away, as SEMO cut the deficit to single digits with 1:50 to go. But the Tigers hit all their free throws late to cement the win. They are now 6-8, and have won five of their last six games, though they’ve had two games postponed due to COVID-19. They also play Murray State on the road Thursday. Then both teams return home Saturday for games against Morehead State.
