Men's Basketball | 12/18/2019 3:38:00 PM

   
 
TIME: 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Dec. 19, 2019
LOCATION:  Savannah, Ga. | Tiger Arena 
LADY TIGERS LIVE STATS LINK: http://bit.ly/2pUjjBZ
TIGERS LIVE STATS LINK: http://bit.ly/2P8DX9M
LIVE STREAM LINK: http://bit.ly/2rRLvWv
TIGERS ON TWITTER: @savstatetigers  (#HailSSU, #ClawDown)
TIGERS ON INSTAGRAM: @savstatetigers
TICKETS: http://bit.ly/2WUSQAc
 

SAVANNAH, Ga – The Savannah State men's and women's basketball host a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) doubleheader this Thursday against the Spring Hill College Badgers.

It's Savannah State Staff and Faculty Appreciation Night in Tiger Arena. All staff and faculty receive free admission with valid I.D.
   
Both Savannah State and Spring Hill are looking for their second conference win going into Thursday's match.

After a big SIAC win over Central State on Dec. 2, the Lady Tigers fell to LeMoyne-Owen College on Dec. 14. The Lady Magicians outscored SSU 15-9 in overtime for the win.

The Lady Tigers' Thursday game opens a three-game home stand for SSU. They face Tuskegee on Saturday in an SIAC game and return to action after the Holiday break on Jan. 6 to face the College of Coastal Georgia in a non-conference warmup.

Savannah State is led by returner Le'Andrea Gillies, who is averaging 21.8 points a game. Ta'Kyla Austin has been a huge offensive presence in her first year as a Lady Tiger, averaging 16.8 points a game. Freshman Amari Heard has had four double-doubles this season, averaging 10.8 points a game and 10.4 rebounds.

Spring Hill enters Thursday's game on a three-game losing streak. They fell to SIAC foe Clark-Atlanta on Dec. 16, 75-89, in their last outing. Their lone conference win came against Albany State. They squeezed by the Golden Rams 69-66 on Nov. 23.

The Lady Badgers are led by a pair of seniors. Forward Tiffany Valentine is averaging 16.8 points a game and guard Elise Reilly is averaging 12.4 points a game this season.
  The Savannah State and Spring Hill men's basketball programs have both had rough starts to the 2019-20 season. The Tigers have a slight edge on their schedule after picking up one SIAC win this year against Kentucky State. The Badgers are 0-3 in conference action and have only one win this season.

The Tigers play Tuskegee on Saturday in Tiger Arena before breaking for the Holiday's. They return to action on January 11 against Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. Spring Hill enters Thursday's contest on a six-game losing streak. Their only win this season came against the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.

The Tigers are shooting 38% from the field this year as a team and 26% from beyond the arc. They are led by junior transfer Adrian Bonds, who is average 21.7 points a game. Freshman Marcus Scott is putting up an average of 12.5 points a game off the bench.

Spring Hill is shooting a little better from the field than SSU, averaging 42%. Like their female counterparts, they are led by a pair of seniors. Chase Shellman is putting up 13.2 points a game and averaging 8.2 rebounds. Gresyn Rogers is averaging 12.7 points an outing.