Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two days after allowing 22 offensive rebounds and turning the ball over 22 times, Eastern Kentucky gave up 17 offensive rebounds and turned it over 23 times in a 62-52 loss at Tennessee State on Tuesday.

TSU (4-8, 1-3 OVC) entered the game having been out-rebounded this season by six boards per game but finished with a 45-32 edge tonight. The Lady Tigers turned their 17 offensive rebounds into 15 second chance points.

Alex Jones and Brittany Coles led the Lady Colonels (4-7, 1-3 OVC) with 13 points each, but the two combined for 15 turnovers. Jones also had nine rebounds.

Eastern Kentucky shot 38 percent (19-for-50) from the field, compared to 33 percent for Tennessee State, but took almost half of its shots from behind the three-point arc and only connected on 24 percent (5-for-21). TSU went 4-for-22 (18 percent) from deep, but out-scored Eastern 22-14 in the paint.

The Lady tigers were led by Tayla Foster with 16 points off the bench. Simone Hopes finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

A three-pointer by Reese Bass five minutes into the game gave EKU a two-point lead and the Lady Colonels led until the mid-point of the second half. A pair of free throws by Jones put the visitors on top by eight, 22-14, with 6:32 left in the first half. Tennessee State cut the lead in half at the break, 27-23.

Eastern Kentucky went back in front by eight, 35-27, with 15:09 remaining in the game, but the Lady Tigers answered. TSU used a 14-2 run to turn an 8-point deficit into a 4-point lead. A jumper by Foster capped the run and put the home squad in front 41-37 with 11:09 left to play.

EKU tied the game twice but never regained the lead.

The Lady Colonels will close out the 2010 calendar year at home on Dec. 31 against Western Michigan. Tip-off on New Year’s Eve is set for 1 p.m.