HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University jumped out to a 16-point first quarter lead and never looked back Wednesday as they claimed a 77-58 win at Sam Houston State.
Joyce Kennerson scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting to lead the Lady Tigers (2-4), who claimed their first true road win of the season. Kennerson was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, handed out five assists, and also recorded a career-high eight steals.
The junior guard from Port Arthur, Texas, also claimed a bit of history Wednesday, as Kennerson became the eighth women's basketball player in TSU history to record 1,000 career points. Her 3-pointer with 4:31 left to play in the second quarter pushed her to 1,001 points for her career, and 20 for the game up to that point.
Kennerson also moved into eighth-place on TSU's all-time scoring list, moving past Sybil Reddick, who scored 995 points during a four-year career that concluded in 1984.
TSU sophomore Isis Lane continued her solid play to begin her sophomore season as she scored a career-best 14 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor. Lane, a 6-foot-2-inch post, also led the Lady Tigers with six rebounds.
Lydia Baxter came off the Sam Houston bench and scored 10 points and seven rebounds to lead the Bearkats (1-3). Sam Houston State remained winless this season against NCAA Division I opponents.
NEXT UP
Texas Southern returns home to face one of its in-state brethren when the Lady Tigers host Wiley College on Monday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Tigers seized control of the game early by scoring 14 unanswered points over the last six minutes of the first quarter to finish the period with a 20-4 lead. TSU shot 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from the floor in the first quarter, while the Bearkats were held to 1-of-13 shooting during the opening frame.
Kennerson almost singlehandedly pulled her team away from their hosts by scoring 10 unanswered points by herself during a 58-second span between the 2:51 and 1:53 marks of the quarter. She knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and turned two steals into fast-break layups.
Kennerson's great minute came during a stretch of the quarter that saw Sam Houston commit turnovers on six consecutive possessions. The Bearkats committed eight turnovers in the first quarter and 25 in the game.
TSU used a 7-0 stretch in the second quarter to take their first 20-point lead of the game at 35-15 with 3:55 left before halftime. That run included five more points by Kennerson – including the 3-pointer that pushed her over 1,000 career points, and a fast-break layup by Camille Mills.
The Lady Tigers led 43-24 at halftime and held a 60-34 lead at the end of the third quarter. TSU shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the first three quarters before "only" shooting 46 percent (6 of 13) in the final period.
TSU also scored the first nine points of the final quarter to take their largest lead of the game at 69-34 with 7:06 remaining in the game. Sam Houston State outscored the Lady Tigers 22-6 over the last 6:40 of the quarter, but could not cut the deficit closer than 17 points for the remainder of the game.
KEY POINTS
• TSU held 34-16 advantage in points in the paint, and a 34-12 advantage in points off turnovers.
• The Lady Tigers recorded 14 steals on Sam Houston's 25 turnovers, and turned those giveaways into an 18-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
• Texas Southern won their third game in 14 meetings with Sam Houston State; all three wins have come in Huntsville.
• Prior to Wednesday's contest, the Lady Tigers had led after only one of the previous 20 quarters played – the fourth quarter of TSU's 66-50 win over New Mexico State in which the Lady Tigers outscored the Aggies 32-4.
• Kennerson has averaged 28.0 points per contest in four games played in Texas this season.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Joyce Kennerson scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting to lead the Lady Tigers (2-4), who claimed their first true road win of the season. Kennerson was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, handed out five assists, and also recorded a career-high eight steals.
The junior guard from Port Arthur, Texas, also claimed a bit of history Wednesday, as Kennerson became the eighth women's basketball player in TSU history to record 1,000 career points. Her 3-pointer with 4:31 left to play in the second quarter pushed her to 1,001 points for her career, and 20 for the game up to that point.
Kennerson also moved into eighth-place on TSU's all-time scoring list, moving past Sybil Reddick, who scored 995 points during a four-year career that concluded in 1984.
TSU sophomore Isis Lane continued her solid play to begin her sophomore season as she scored a career-best 14 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor. Lane, a 6-foot-2-inch post, also led the Lady Tigers with six rebounds.
Lydia Baxter came off the Sam Houston bench and scored 10 points and seven rebounds to lead the Bearkats (1-3). Sam Houston State remained winless this season against NCAA Division I opponents.
NEXT UP
Texas Southern returns home to face one of its in-state brethren when the Lady Tigers host Wiley College on Monday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Tigers seized control of the game early by scoring 14 unanswered points over the last six minutes of the first quarter to finish the period with a 20-4 lead. TSU shot 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from the floor in the first quarter, while the Bearkats were held to 1-of-13 shooting during the opening frame.
Kennerson almost singlehandedly pulled her team away from their hosts by scoring 10 unanswered points by herself during a 58-second span between the 2:51 and 1:53 marks of the quarter. She knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and turned two steals into fast-break layups.
Kennerson's great minute came during a stretch of the quarter that saw Sam Houston commit turnovers on six consecutive possessions. The Bearkats committed eight turnovers in the first quarter and 25 in the game.
TSU used a 7-0 stretch in the second quarter to take their first 20-point lead of the game at 35-15 with 3:55 left before halftime. That run included five more points by Kennerson – including the 3-pointer that pushed her over 1,000 career points, and a fast-break layup by Camille Mills.
The Lady Tigers led 43-24 at halftime and held a 60-34 lead at the end of the third quarter. TSU shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the first three quarters before "only" shooting 46 percent (6 of 13) in the final period.
TSU also scored the first nine points of the final quarter to take their largest lead of the game at 69-34 with 7:06 remaining in the game. Sam Houston State outscored the Lady Tigers 22-6 over the last 6:40 of the quarter, but could not cut the deficit closer than 17 points for the remainder of the game.
KEY POINTS
• TSU held 34-16 advantage in points in the paint, and a 34-12 advantage in points off turnovers.
• The Lady Tigers recorded 14 steals on Sam Houston's 25 turnovers, and turned those giveaways into an 18-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
• Texas Southern won their third game in 14 meetings with Sam Houston State; all three wins have come in Huntsville.
• Prior to Wednesday's contest, the Lady Tigers had led after only one of the previous 20 quarters played – the fourth quarter of TSU's 66-50 win over New Mexico State in which the Lady Tigers outscored the Aggies 32-4.
• Kennerson has averaged 28.0 points per contest in four games played in Texas this season.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics