STEWART HAS BREAKOUT GAME AS SKYHAWK MEN’S HOOPS WINS WILD 98-91 SHOOTOUT AT WESTERN ILLINOIS

Wednesday, November 13

Macomb, Ill.

7 p.m.

UT Martin

2-1

Western Illinois

0-3

UT Martin

Western Illinois

STEWART HAS BREAKOUT GAME AS SKYHAWK MEN’S HOOPS WINS WILD 98-91 SHOOTOUT AT WESTERN ILLINOIS

11/13/2019 10:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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MACOMB, Ill. – Parker Stewart amassed career-highs of 32 points and 11 rebounds this evening as the University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball overcame a 15-point second half deficit to knock off Western Illinois by a 98-91 margin.

Stewart piled up 25 points and nine rebounds in the second half alone, including 12 consecutive Skyhawk points in a stretch of 2:06 as UT Martin whittled its deficit midway through the second half. The Skyhawks (2-1) were ahead by two points with under a minute to play and the Pittsburgh transfer reeled off five more unanswered points – including a contested three-pointer with 45 seconds to go that served as the dagger.

UT Martin also received heavy contributions from seniors Quintin Dove (20 points) and Derek Hawthorne, Jr. (17 points, eight rebounds). Steve Wooten, Jr. added 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench as the Skyhawks outrebounded the hosts (45-34) and committed only five turnovers.

Kobe Webster's 28 points led five double-digit scorers for Western Illinois (0-3). Ben Pyle scored 18 points, Zion Young added 15 points while James Claar and Jaeden King each provided 13 points apiece.

After the Fighting Leathernecks scored on the opening possession of the game, UT Martin reeled off a 10-0 run – capped off with back-to-back treys from Wooten and Stewart. A layup by Wooten at the 14:33 mark pushed the Skyhawk advantage out to double figures at 18-8. UT Martin posted its biggest lead of the night (35-24) after a Hawthorne jumper in the paint but Western Illinois closed the opening half on a 22-8 run to take a 46-43 advantage at the break.

Dove accumulated 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half to pace the Skyhawks while Webster's 15 points carried the Fighting Leathernecks.

Stewart opened UT Martin's scoring in the second half, draining a three-pointer that perhaps foreshadowed his breakout performance. Western Illinois soon used a 14-4 run to create some separation, eventually pushing ahead by a 70-55 margin with 13:12 remaining. The Skyhawks trailed by 10 when Stewart began his offensive barrage, knocking down a pair of trifectas, two short-range jumpers and a pair of free throws in an instant. Hawthorne then came up big down the stretch, unreeling eight straight UT Martin points – beginning with a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays. When the dust settled, the Skyhawks led 78-76 with 7:18 left on the clock and never trailed again as UT Martin's defense willed it to the finish line.

The Skyhawks begin their participation in the Cancun Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 16 when they travel to Wichita State. UT Martin then plays at Northern Iowa on Nov. 19 before heading to Playa del Carmen Mexico for a pair of games on Nov. 26-27.

Gallery: (11/13/2019) MBB at Western Illinois