Ohio Valley Conference

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee State women's basketball team closed the game on a strong run to rally past Southeast Missouri State, 76-72, Saturday afternoon at the Gentry Center.

Trailing by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers (2-9, 1-1 OVC) turned the tide with timely shooting, defensive stops, and poise down the stretch to secure their first home Ohio Valley Conference win of the season.

Tennessee State had four players score in double figures, led by Xai Whitfield, who finished with 22 points to go along with six assists and two steals. Sadie Sanchez provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 points while knocking down four three-pointers, including multiple clutch shots in the fourth quarter. Brianna Wooldridge added a strong inside presence with 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.

The Lady Tigers shared the ball well throughout the contest, recording 16 assists on 28 made field goals. Whitfield led the way with six assists, while Erin Martin added three. Defensively, Tennessee State limited Southeast Missouri State to 36.5 percent shooting from the field and just 22.7 percent from beyond the arc, while forcing 16 turnovers.

Tennessee State trailed 22-16 late in the first quarter before closing the period on a 5-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Sanchez, to cut the deficit to 22-21.

In the second quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to attack inside and briefly took the lead following a 5-0 run highlighted by a three from Martin. Southeast Missouri State responded, and the teams entered halftime tied at 37-37, with Tennessee State scoring 10 of its 16 second-quarter points in the paint.

The Redhawks gained momentum in the third quarter, building a lead and sending the Lady Tigers into the final period trailing 58-50. Tennessee State continued to find success around the basket, scoring eight of its 13 points in the quarter in the paint.

Southeast Missouri State extended its lead to 63-52 early in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Tigers answered with a decisive 12-0 run to pull within one. Tennessee State took the lead for good with 1:26 remaining on a Sanchez three-pointer and sealed the comeback at the free-throw line in the closing seconds. The Lady Tigers scored 26 points in the fourth quarter, including four three-pointers.

SOUTHERN INDIANA 78, MOREHEAD STATE 59
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball took down Morehead State University, 78-59, on Saturday at Liberty Arena to move to 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play behind a career-high 35 points from senior guard Ali Saunders.
 
With the win, USI Women's Basketball (8-2, 2-0 OVC) won its fourth straight game while starting 2-0 in OVC action for the third season in a row. Meanwhile, Morehead State dropped to 4-8 overall and 0-2 in league play.
 
Saturday's 35-point performance from Saunders was USI's first 30-point game by a Screaming Eagle since Hannah Haithcock dropped 31 points at Lindenwood University on January 19, 2023. It is also the most in a single game by a USI player since former Eagle Emma DeHart tallied 39 points at Rockhurst University on February 6, 2021. Saunders, who reached 1,000 career points in recent weeks, passed her previous career best of 32 points, which she set while at Valparaiso University as a freshman against the University of Alabama Birmingham on November 21, 2022.
 
Saunders registered her 35-point performance on 10-22 shooting overall with six made threes and a perfect 9-9 at the free-throw line. The senior scored 25 of the 35 points in the second half. The guard also added five assists and four steals. Junior forward Chloe Gannon was second in scoring for the Screaming Eagles on Saturday with 15 points, and freshman forward Channah Gannon added 15 points for her third consecutive double-digit effort.
 
Collectively, USI shot above 40 percent (26-64) overall, totaled seven made triples, and went for 73 percent (19-26). The Screaming Eagles outrebounded Morehead State 40-27, with half of USI's total coming on the offensive glass. USI's defense was active again, forcing 25 turnovers to lead to 33 points. Morehead State shot for 46.5 percent (20-43) overall with five threes and below 61 percent (14-23) at the charity stripe.
 
It took a couple of minutes for the ball to fall through the hoop for USI on Saturday, but after Chloe Gannon got the Screaming Eagles on the board, USI built a quick 11-0 run to go up 11-2 by the 5:30 mark of the first quarter. USI's lead reached double digits late in the first quarter and reached a dozen, 26-14, at the end of the opening frame. The Screaming Eagles' defensive pressure forced nine Morehead State turnovers in the first period, leading to 16 points on USI's offensive end.
 
Like the first quarter, the second quarter featured another slow start for both sides. Three minutes into the second, Saunders knocked down a mid-range jumper on the baseline to reach 10 points in the game, as USI doubled up Morehead State on the scoreboard, 28-14. Channah Gannon provided a spark in the middle of the quarter, reaching double figures for the game and building USI's lead to 15, 34-19. However, Morehead State made a late run to bring the Screaming Eagles' lead down to eight, 38-30, at halftime.
 
The Screaming Eagles started the second half on the attack, going on a 10-0 run and forcing a quick Morehead State timeout. Saunders drained a pair of threes to ignite the run. Saunders also had a three-point play in the middle of the third quarter that gave USI a 51-34 advantage. Morehead State drew back within 10, 56-46, with a minute left in the third, but USI responded with four straight points to take a 60-46 lead to the fourth quarter.
 
Two minutes into the fourth, Saunders scored a layup to set a new USI career high, reaching the 25-point plateau. A few minutes later, Saunders canned a three-pointer to help USI maintain a 14-point lead, 67-53. Saunders was not done there, converting at the free-throw line and cashing in one more triple to post the new career-best 35 points. Saunders' run and a pair of makes from Chloe Gannon allowed USI to pull away and put a stamp on the win.

TENNESSEE TECH 74, UT MARTIN 62
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was a milestone nearly 50 years in the making on Saturday as the Tennessee Tech women's basketball collected its 500th victory in the Hooper Eblen Center, topping UT Martin 74-62.

Dating all the way back to the first season in the Eblen Center in 1977-78 and now 49 seasons later, the Golden Eagle women have defended their home court well with a 500-172 record and a .744 winning percentage at home.

It wasn't easy, though, as UT Martin kept it close in the first quarter, then outscored the Golden Eagles 18-10 in the second to take a 33-28 advantage. Tech countered with a 13-4 run to open the second half and outscored the Skyhawks 23-10 in the third. The Golden Eagles extended their lead with a 23-19 fourth quarter to cruise to their 26th straight win in at home to extend their program-best streak in progress.

Tech continued to dominate the glass in recent games, pulling down 43 boards, including 16 offensive caroms – seven for LaReesha Cawthorn out of her 14 total. The Golden Eagles ended the game with 21 second-chance points.

Chloe Larry came out on fire, going 3-for-3 from the floor for six points and four boards, while Reghan Grimes also collected a sextet of points in the opening stanza.

Cam Mathews had seven of Tech's 10 points in the second quarter, but the Golden Eagles couldn't get much to fall before the intermission as Tech was 3-for-13 from the field and 2-for-4 from both long range and the line in the second quarter.

Grimes took over in the third quarter, scoring 10 of the Golden Eagles' 23 points with a 4-for-6 run. After Kenley McCarn hit a layup at 9:13 in the new half, Tech got 10 straight points with a Cawthorn 3, an Amaya Redd layup, followed by both a three and a jumper for Grimes.

After Sidni Middleton chipped in a jumper for the Skyhawks, Redd collected an and-one bucket, then Grimes added another jump-shot bucket.

UTM got six free throws in the remainder of the quarter, but it didn't stack up to Amaya Thomas' layup added to 3-pointers for Mathews and Grimes.

Larry paced the Golden Eagles the rest of the way with eight points in the fourth quarter, while Mathews had five.

Tech (9-2, 2-0 Ohio Valley Conference) had a pair of 19-point performances as Mathews added 19 points to her career-high tally of 34 against Southeast Missouri to end the week with 53 points. Mathews was 7-for-16 from the field with a 4-for-9 effort beyond the arc with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Grimes also had 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, going 4-for-5 from long-range and 1-for-1 at the stripe. Grimes ended the game with seven rebounds, five assists and a steal.

In addition to Cawthorn's 14 rebounds, the freshman also had eight points, two assists, two steals and three blocks. Redd finished the game with nine points and a rebound.

Middleton led UTM (5-6, 1-1 OVC) with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting – including a pair of 3s and 5-for-5 at the line, while McCarn had 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting. Brittani Wells had six assists and four steals to go with her seven points and five rebounds.