Milwaukee, WI- The Texas Southern Tigers had the drive and energy that head coach Tony Harvey has been looking for since the season begin when they faced nationally ranked Marquette tonight in the Bradley Center .
“The result was not what we wanted, but I’m proud of the effort my guys gave tonight,” said Harvey . Marquette is ranked #15 in the nation and came into this game averaging 100 points a game.
The Tigers have struggled in the first half in most of the games they have played so far this season. Tonight they started the game with the determination and hustle.
Texas Southern managed to keep Marquette ’s fast break offense in check for nearly most of the first half. TSU did not give up more than a single digit lead until the last two minutes; that’s when Marquette went on a 10-5 run to end the first period up 38-25.
The Tigers played a tough second half and scored 43 points to Marquette ’s 47. In the end, TSU fell 68-85 but they kept the nationally ranked team to their lowest score and most turnovers (19) of the season.
“We want the wins, but we will take the small victories at this point,” Harvey said. “We are playing hard and getting better, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Five Tigers scored in double digits. DeAndre Hall (#1) was the leading scorer with 19 points. He also had four steals and three assists. Ricky Boyles (#20) picked up his first double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Miller (#3) had 12 points, five assists and two steals. Jacques Jones (#15) and Sollie Norwood (#31) each had 10 points.
Texas Southern now heads to Chicago to face Mercer in the third game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge tournament. The game tips off at noon on Friday, November 28th
