EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Carlous Williams and Aaron Nkrumah combined for 29 points to lead the Tennessee State men’s basketball team over Lindenwood 69-55 in the quarterfinals of the OVC Tournament.
The Tigers (17-15) had two players score in double figures, led by Williams, who had 15 points and three blocks. Nkrumah added 14 points and seven rebounds and Josh Ogundele added eight points and eight rebounds. The Tigers knocked down 8-of-18 attempts from beyond the arc, shooting 44.4 percent from deep in the win.
Led by Ogundele’s two offensive rebounds, Tennessee State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in 13 second chance points.
Tennessee State did a great job disrupting Lindenwood shots in the contest, coming away with six blocks. Williams’ three rejections led the way individually for the Tigers.
After falling behind 13-9, Tennessee State went on a 10-0 run with 11:24 left in the first half to take a 19-13 lead. The Tigers then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 31-24 advantage. Tennessee State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 16 of its 31 points close to the basket.
Tennessee State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Justus Jackson’s three, to grow the lead to 57-43 with 6:49 to go in the contest. The Tigers held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 69-55 win. Tennessee State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 10 of its 38 total points.
