Box Score
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Senior Erin Hogue put up 21 points, and grabbed 12 rebounds in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game against South Carolina State on Saturday.  Hogue's effort was undermined by a big first half run from the Lady Bulldogs that carried them to a 75-54 win over Savannah State.

It was Hogue's ninth, and sixth consecutive, double-double. She is currently second in the MEAC in double-double's. Jasmine Norman scored a season-high 15 points in the loss.

The Lady Tigers fall to 6-14 overall and 1-6 in the MEAC. S.C. State improves to 12-6 and 4-3 in conference. Tiara Knotts led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points, while Ashley Clarke added 15.

After a slow start, Mykala Jones drained a 3-pointer to give the Lady Bulldogs a 3-0 advantage. Hogue responded with a put-back on a missed shot from Blessing Uba for a 3-2 score with 17:01 on the clock.

S.C. State responded with a 14-0 run to take a 17-2 lead in the subsequent five minutes, capped by two good free-throws from Trinese Fox. Andrietta Thomas broke SSU's scoring drought with a short jumper, a minute later.

Trailing by 18 points, Norman sank two free-throws at the 7:57 mark to cut the home teams lead to 26-10. The Lady Tigers shot 100 percent from the charity strip in the opening period, hitting 7-of-7 attempts.

Knotts drained a 3-pointer at the 7:17 mark, giving S.C. State a 31-12 advantage. The 19-point difference was the Lady Bulldogs largest lead of the first half. S.C. State shot 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from behind the arc.

With 3:08 till the half, Hogue drove the lane, sank a basket and drew the foul. She added the free-throw to get SSU within 14 points, 35-21, of the home teams lead. SSU's drive waned in the remaining minutes as the Lady Bulldogs went into the locker room up 41-23.

S.C. State's offensive prowess continued in the second half as a good offering at the charity strip from Clarke gave the home team a 44-25 lead, two minutes into the period.

The Lady Tigers responded with an 8-0 run in the subsequent three minutes that was capped by a good free-throw from Hogue, for a 44-32 score. The 12-point difference was the closest the Lady Tigers came to S.C. State's lead.

Trailing by 19, Nicole Shelton sank a layup, Norman followed with a 3-pointer, and Hogue sank free offering for a 6-0 SSU run, cutting S.C. State's lead to 57-44 with 9:25 to play.

SSU again found themselves down by 19, six minutes later, but Knotts put some distance between the teams with a good 3-pointer. Jones sank a layup on transition with 56 seconds to play for S.C. State's largest lead, 24 points, of the game.

The Lady Tigers shot at a 32.2 percent clip from the floor and were 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. S.C. State managed a 40 percent clip from the field and from beyond the arc. The Lady Bulldogs were 68.8 percent from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers return to action on February 2 in Washington, D.C. against perennial MEAC power Howard University. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES:
The Lady Tigers are now on their longest losing streak of the year, at five games straight.

SSU's roster has had some adjustments due to injuries over the past week. Shawanda Hanton missed tonight's game due to a concussion suffered last week. New addition Paige Johnson will miss the rest of the season.

The Lady Tigers are now 1-8 since losing junior point guard Ezinne Kalu in December to a torn ACL.

Erin Hogue leads the team in points (234) and rebounds (175). She is followed by Andrietta Thomas in points (191), and in rebounds (84).

Nicole Shelton returned to action last week after missing the first 18 games of the season due to academic ineligibility and last season due to injury. Shelton has scored 4 points, a grabbed 12 rebounds in two games.