For the first time in 32 years, Tennessee State men's basketball is going dancing.
The Tigers (23-9) defeated Morehead State 93-67 in the Ohio Valley Conference championship on Saturday night, setting records for most points scored and biggest margin of victory in OVC title game history en route to clinching the program's third-ever NCAA Tournament bid. TSU's previous two appearances came back-to-back in 1993 and 1994.Â
kAmvC25F2E6 DEF56?E s2?E6 w2CC:D — 2? p==\~'r 9@?@C66 — 4@>A:=65 2 5@F3=6\5@F3=6 H:E9 `e A@:?ED 2?5 `` C63@F?5D :? 255:E:@? E@ 7@FC 2DD:DED 2?5 E9C66 DE62=D E@ 62C? E@FC?2>6?E |'! 9@?@CD] k^Am
kAmu@FC @E96C %:86CD 7:?:D965 :? 5@F3=6\7:8FC6Di p?E@:?6 {@C:4< xxx W`gX[ 7:CDE\E62> p==\~'r >6>36C %C2G:D w2CA6C xx W`fX[ r2C=@FD (:==:2>D W`eX 2?5 ~'r !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C p2C@? }<CF>29 W`cX] w2CA6C xx 2?5 }<CF>29 ;@:?65 w2CC:D @? E96 p==\%@FC?2>6?E %62>] k^Am
kAmu:CDE\J62C 9625 4@249 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^32D<6E32==^E6??6DD66\DE2E6\E2AD\7@C>6C\5F<6\DE2C\>6>A9:D\2DD:DE2?E\?@=2?\D>:E9\2D\>6?D\32D<6E32==\4@249^2CE:4=6064dh5egf\b`2g\ccff\3abe\7ce7h65_54_d]9E>=n08=l`Y`ef=4g@Y0FAY|"]]Y082Y|%p_|K4I}%8H|:cI}K4J~%<I~s*HY0820eu%{z|')''Y4Ktb}Kxd~%*I|s8<3Kx<+Kp<5stb}Kxd~%*I|s8<2;*HyvHHyv8HY0820c%atq`cfqgY4Ktb}Kxd~%*I|s8<3Kx<+Kp<5stb}Kxd~%*I|s8<2;*HyvHHyv8HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm}@=2? $>:E9k^2m 92D %$& @? 7:C6 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E] %96 %:86CD 92G6 H@? ?:?6 @7 E96:C =2DE `_ 82>6D[ H:E9 7@FC @7 E96 H:?D 36:?8 3J a_\A=FD A@:?ED] %$&VD ab H:?D 2?5 `d 4@?76C6?46 H:?D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^EDF\>6?D\32D<6E32==\4=2:>D\D92C6\@7\7:CDE\@G4\E:E=6\D:?46\`hhd^2CE:4=60c45`h77h\fa46\c_7d\27f2\e2da5ed7d55h]9E>=n08=l`Y`GD6IeIY0FAY|"]]Y082Y|%p_|K4I}%8H|:cI}K4J~%<I~s*HY0820eu%{z|')''Y4Ktb}Kxd~%tc}%<<3Kt<+Kp<5stb}Kxd~%tc}%<<2;*HyvHHyv8HY0820c%atq`cfqgY4Ktb}Kxd~%tc}%<<3Kt<+Kp<5stb}Kxd~%tc}%<<2;*HyvHHyv8HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm3@E9 D6E D49@@= C64@C5Dk^2m 7@C E96 s:G:D:@? x 6C2]k^Am
kAmu@C 9:D 677@CED :? EFC?:?8 2C@F?5 E96 AC@8C2> :? J62C @?6[ $>:E9 H2D G@E65 E96 ~'r r@249 @7 E96 *62C 2?5 H2D ?2>65 2 7:?2=:DE 7@C 2 EC:@ @7 ?2E:@?2= 2H2C5Di E96 y@6 q] w2== pH2C5 7@C E96 36DE 7:CDE\J62C 9625 4@249[ E96 q6? y@36 pH2C5 7@C 36DE >:?@C:EJ 9625 4@249 2?5 E96 wF89 sFC92> pH2C5 7@C 36DE >:5\>2;@C 9625 4@249]k^Am
kAm$>:E9 :D 72>:=:2C H:E9 9:89\=6G6= }rpp A=2J] %96 a_`` 7:CDE\C@F?5 }qp sC27E A:4< @7 E96 !@CE=2?5 %C2:= q=2K6CD H2D 2 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A\H:??:?8 p==\p>6C:42? 2E sF<6] u@==@H:?8 9:D A=2J:?8 42C66C[ E96 7@C>6C A@:?E 8F2C5 925 DE:?ED @? E96 4@249:?8 DE277D 2E sF<6[ {@F:DG:==6 2?5 |6>A9:D] $>:E9 C6A=2465 }2D9G:==6 ?2E:G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^32D<6E32==^E6??6DD66\DE2E6\>6?D\32D<6E32==\4@249\3C:2?\4@==:?D\C6D:8?D^2CE:4=60ce4fefcc\77e7\c`fh\hbd4\e_h672dbh_``]9E>=n08=l`YbK72chY0FAY|"]]Y082Y|%p_|K4I}%8H|:cI}K4J~%<I~s*HY0820eu%{z|')''Y4Ktb}Kxd~%*I|s8<3Kx<+Kt<5stb}Kxd~%*I|%p<2;&cyvHHyv8HY0820c%atq`cfqgY4Ktb}Kxd~%*I|s8<3Kx<+Kp<5stb}Kxd~%*I|%p<2;&cyvHHyv8HQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmqC:2? Q!6??JQ r@==:?Dk^2m[ 2 q6=>@?E 2=F>[ 2D E96 %:86CDV 9625 4@249] r@==:?D DE6AA65 5@H? 7C@> 9:D C@=6 2E %$& 27E6C D6G6? D62D@?D 2?5 2 hg\``g C64@C5 E@ 364@>6 2? 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 H:E9 E96 |6>A9:D vC:KK=:6D]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 364@>:?8 E96 7:CDE 4@?76C6?46 492>A:@? E@ 4=:?49 2? 2FE@\3:5 E9:D D62D@?[ E96 %:86CD H:== A=2J E96 H2:E:?8 82>6 F?E:= $6=64E:@? $F?52J @? |2C49 `d] %$& :D AC@;64E65 3J >@DE 3C24<6E@=@8:DED E@ 36 2 `e\D665[ 3FE FAD6ED :? @E96C 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?ED 4@F=5 G2F=E E96 %:86CD FA E@ E96 `d\ @C `c\D665 =:?6D]Â k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 AC@8C2>VD @E96C EH@ }rpp %@FC?2>6?E 2AA62C2?46D[ E96 %:86CD 76== E@ $6E@? w2== 2?5 z6?EF4<J :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5]Â k^Am
kAm}2D9G:==6VD @E96C D49@@=D 5:5 ?@E 72C6 2D H6== :? A@DED62D@? A=2J @G6C E96 H66<6?5] p7E6C C646:G:?8 2 5@F3=6\3J6 E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6D46?6]4@>^?6HD^DA@CED^G2?56C3:=E\H@>6?D\32D<6E32==\4@>A=6E6\D62D@?^2CE:4=60cac42b2b\c`a_\cd`5\232e\e5d22b`75fed]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm}@] d\C2?<65 '2?56C3:=E H@>6?VD 32D<6E32==k^2m H2D FAD6E gh\fg 3J ~=6 |:DD :? E96 $tr %@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAmx? 2? 6G6? >@C6 DFCAC:D:?8 — 2?5 52>28:?8 — FAD6E[ q6=>@?E >6?VD 32D<6E32==[ E96 E@A E62> :? E96 |:DD@FC: '2==6J r@?76C6?46 2== D62D@?[ H2D 3=@H? @FE 3J sC2<6 `__\fh :? :ED 7:CDE 82>6 @7 E96 A@DED62D@?] s6DA:E6 36:?8 @? E96 A6C:A96CJ @7 E96 2E\=2C86 3:5 5:D4FDD:@? 7@C E96 A2DE 76H >@?E9D[ E96 =@DD H:== <?@4< E96 qCF:?D @FE @7 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E 4@?E6?E:@?] k^Am
kAm{:AD4@>3 >6?VD 2?5 H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== H6C6 6249 6=:>:?2E65 :? E96 7:CDE 82>6D @7 E96:C C6DA64E:G6 p$&} r@?76C6?46 %@FC?2>6?ED[ H9:=6 E96 %$& H@>6? 72:=65 E@ BF2=:7J 7@C E96 ~'r %@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E >6?VD 32D<6E32==[ q6=>@?E H@>6?VD 32D<6E32== 2?5 3@E9 |%$& DBF25D 86E DE2CE65 @? A@DED62D@? A=2J E9:D H66<]Â k^Am
