PULASKI, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern men's basketball returned to the Curry Athletic Complex on Thursday, hosting Middle Georgia State. UTS trailed at the half and fell 85-77. UTS dropped to 8-12 overall and 5-6 in league play.
Four Firehawks tallied double figures in points. Zaiden Cross led all scorers with 21 points, five rebounds, and five steals. Mark Vance added 18 points, six boards, and three assists. Vito Vujovic tossed in 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Mike Bell, Jr. contributed 12 points.
UTS and MGSU traded buckets in the early going leading to four ties. With the score tied at 14, the Knights took the lead and they would hold it for the rest of the half. UTS would trail by as many as 13 with 3:34 left. UTS closed out the half with a 7-4 run to trail 41-34. UTS shot 12-27 for 44%, knocking down 4-11 from distance. Cross led the Firehawks with 10 first half points, and Vance followed closely behind with nine points.
UTS opened the final half crafting a 16-4 run taking their largest lead at 50-45 with 14 minutes left. The visitors would push back to lead 73-59 with three minutes left in the game. UTS made one last charge and closed the gap to 77-73, but shots down the stretch wouldn't fall for the Firehawks
BY THE NUMBERS
43.8 – UTS shot 28-64 for 43.8 percent being outshot by the Knights' 32-58 (55%).
11 – UTS drained 11 triples, five more than MGSU.
10 – UTS connected on 10 of 12 free throws, to MGSU's 15 of 23 from the foul line.
33 – The Firehawks pulled down 33 rebounds in the game, same as the Knights.
NEXT UP
The Firehawks will return to the CAC on Saturday, February 1, hosting Thomas. The Firehawks and Nighthawks are set to tipoff at two p.m.
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