EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Gia Adams and Tatyana Davis each scored 19 points as the eighth-seeded Tennessee State University Lady Tigers upset fifth seed EIU, 72-61, in the First Round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship on Wednesday afternoon at the Ford Center in Evansville.
Adams — the 2022 OVC Freshman of the Year — played nearly the entire contest and knocked down 6-of-14 from the floor including a pair of triples. Adams also had four assists and three steals in 38 minutes of work.
Davis played the role of the unsung hero as she went down with an injury midway through the third quarter but came back and added seven of her 19 in the final period. On the defensive side, Davis added four of TSU’s 22 steals.
Leading 20-19 in the second quarter, TSU went on a 9-0 run and led 29-19 with 1:34 remaining. The Lady Tigers went into the half with a 32-26 advantage.
In the third quarter, momentum swung in favor of EIU, as the Panthers used a 10-0 spot and took a short edge 38-36. Adams’ three-point play late in the frame regained TSU’s lead as the contest neared the final quarter.
It was all TSU in the fourth quarter, as the Lady Tigers used a 12-0 run and led 50-40 with 7:33 left. Another 10-0 run iced the contest to TSU late in the fourth quarter as Davis finished the spurt with a layup at the 1:24 mark and held a 66-52 lead.
Lariah Washington led the Panthers with 17 points and was one of the in double figures for EIU.
Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics
