Missoula, Montana --- The Tennessee State
University women's basketball team shook off a sluggish start and battled from
behind to defeat the University of Idaho, 69-64, in Dahlberg Arena at the 32
annual Lady Griz Classic Friday night.
TSU (3-3) trailed by as many as 14 points in
the first half before outscoring Idaho, 43-34, in the second stanza. The Lady
Tigers forced the WAC opponent into 14 turnovers and held them to 26.9 percent
from three-point range, a team that usually shoots over 40 percent from beyond
the arc.
Simone
Hopes led the Lady Tigers and recorded her second career double-double with
16 points and 11 rebounds. Kesi Hess
also registered a double-double, the first of her career, with 15 points and 12
rebounds. Jasmin
Shuler added 14 points and six rebounds.
The start for Tennessee State was sluggish, as Idaho scored nine unanswered points to capture an early, 9-0, lead. TSU had only made 3-of-17 from the field through the first eight minutes while the opponent was shooting 50 percent from the floor.
The Vandals increased their advantage to,
19-5, before back-to-back buckets from Simone
Hopes pulled TSU to within 10.
Idaho maintained at least a nine-point lead
for most of the first half but the TSU defense picked up and the Lady Tigers
used a 7-0 run, during the last three minutes, to cut the deficit down to four.
TSU trailed, 30-26, at halftime.
With about five minutes ticked off the clock
in the second frame, TSU closed within two behind a three-pointer by Chelsea
Hudson. The Vandals, however, answered with consecutive triples and a
break-away lay-up to go back up by double-digits.
The Lady Tigers continued to fight from
behind and once again rallied to within two, 53-51, after Tanesha
Stenson forced a turnover that allowed Simone
Hopes to score on a break-away.
Another Hopes' bucket pulled the Lady Tigers
even, 53-53 with 6:39 remaining. On the next play, Jasmin
Shuler capped a 19-7 run that put TSU on top, 55-53.
With 2:52 remaining, the Lady Tigers managed
to build their advantage up to, 66-60, but the Vandals responded with four
straight to pull within two.
Idaho had possession with 31.4 seconds left
in the game when TSU forced a turnover and got the ball back. Idaho was forced
to foul and put Destiney
Gaston on the line.
Gaston made the front-end of a 1-and-1 but
missed the second to make the score, 67-64, in favor of TSU with 20.7 seconds
remaining.
On the Vandals' next possession they
attempted two three-pointers but came up empty on them both.
After being fouled, Kesi Hess
stepped up to the line and knocked down two free-throws to ice the game.
The Lady Tigers return to action tomorrow
against host Montana at 7 p.m. MT to conclude the Lady Griz Classic. The contest
can be watched live on the Big Sky Network.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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