Strong second half leads Walters State over Tusculum JV

MORRISTOWN, TN – Walters State outscored Tusculum JV 52-27 in the second half on Monday evening as the Senators cruised to a 96-68 victory.

With the win, Walters State improves to 5-3 on the season. 

"I thought when we got after them, we did a really good job," Walters State coach Bill Carlyle said. "We had a long talk at the half, and we got after them in the second. We had some kids step up. Any win is a good win, especially after Saturday." 

Josh Jerome led the way for Walters State once again as he recorded his second straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Off the bench, Javontay Rollings saw significant playing time and took advantage, scoring 16 points on 7-10 shooting. 

"I thought Rollings played really well today," Carlye said. "Josh is continuing to play well, too. They're continuing to improve." 

Along with those two,  Ijesuoefe Iyamu had 10 points while Ty Hurst had 13 and Ronnie Thompson Jr. nine on 4-4 shooting. 

Walters State shot 54% from the field in the game, making 38-of-70 shots. They had 39 rebounds and 20 assists. Hurst and Thompson each had four assists. 

It was a sluggish start in the first half as Walters State struggled to maintain a lead. They had one early at 15-9 thanks to Jerome and then at 21-16, but Tusculum clawed back into it and tied the game at 28. 

Hurst and Thompson broke the tie with layups, but Tusculum answered once again and took a one-point lead. The Senators would close out the half strong, though, as Thompson and Jerome each scored four. Walters State led 44-41 at the break.

In the second half, Walters State started using their defensive pressure to their advantage. After Tusculum scored the first two points of the half, Walters State went on a 13-0 run that put the game out of reach. Rollings and Iyamu each had six points during the run.

Tusculum would finally break the run with a 3-pointer, but the Senators answered right back. This time, the run was 15-0 and the lead was 72-46. During that run, Rollings, Jerome and Iyamu scored 12 of the points with the other three coming on an and-one by Izaiha Bredwood. 

From there, Walters State rotated players in-and-out as they held onto the big lead. Kawika Makua scored the final points of the game as the Senators rolled to the victory.

Up Next: 

Walters State will have a quick turnaround on Tuesday as they take on Experience Academy. Tip is set for 6 p.m. 

"We just need to keep on working and getting better during these games," Carlyle said. "We'll see what we can do on Tuesday night."

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics