THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee 73,
Tennessee State 43
@Gonzaga 78,
UT Martin 55
TENNESSEE 73, TENNESSEE STATE 43
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State fell at Tennessee, 73-43, on Wednesday. With the loss, the Lady Tigers dropped to 1-1 on the season.
Taylor Roberts led Tennessee Staet with 12 points to go with four rebounds and three steals.
Deaja Richardson also reached double-digits in points with 11. She knocked down a trio of three pointers.
The Lady Tigers return home on Monday when they host North Alabama at 5:30 p.m.
GONZAGA 78, UT MARTIN 55
SPOKANE, Wash. – The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team went into halftime with just a six-point deficit but could not overcome nationally ranked Gonzaga in the second half, ultimately closing out the three-game road swing to open the season with a 78-55 loss.
The Skyhawks (0-3) played their second nationally ranked foe this week on a grueling road trip. Down yet another key contributor due to injury, UT Martin looked to its depth to fill the missing gap.
UT Martin struggled from the field for the third straight game, shooting just 36.6 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. Two players in scored in double figures for the Skyhawks as sophomore Damiah Griffin paced the squad with 15 points while tallying five rebounds. Junior Chelsey Perry cracked into double figures for the first time this season with 13 points and eight rebounds.
No. 23 Gonzaga (2-0) picked up its second win at home as three players scored in double figures and the team shot 55.1 percent from the floor. Jenn Wirth led the game with 17 points while Jill Townsend (15) and Katie Campbell (10) also scored in double figures.
The first half saw Gonzaga jump out to an early lead, pushing its advantage out to as large as 11 points at the end of the first quarter, leading 19-8. UT Martin would fight back in the second quarter, outscoring the home squad by a narrow 24-20 margin to cut the deficit down to as close as five with just over a minute to play in the first half.
After watching the gap close at the break, Gonzaga came out aggressive in the second half, stringing together a 17-3 run to push the margin out a 22 points. The run proved to be the knockout blow for the Skyhawks as they would cut the deficit to as close as 16 in the third period.
UT Martin will make its home debut in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on Thursday, Nov. 21 against Samford. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.