BACKCOURT DUO SHINES BUT UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS 91-72 AT UNC ASHEVILLE

Saturday, December 14

Asheville, NC

1 p.m.

UT Martin

3-6

UNC Asheville

5-4

UT Martin

UNC Asheville

BACKCOURT DUO SHINES BUT UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS 91-72 AT UNC ASHEVILLE

12/14/2019 4:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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ASHEVILLE, NC – The University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball team received high-scoring games from guards Parker Stewart and Craig Randall II this afternoon but the Skyhawks could not tame UNC Asheville in a 91-72 nonconference setback at Kimmel Arena.

Stewart collected team-highs in points (21), rebounds (eight) and assists (five) for UT Martin (3-6). Randall pumped in 20 points in addition to tying a career-high with seven rebounds for the Skyhawks, who also saw Derek Hawthorne, Jr. notch 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers. UT Martin shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the floor and led by as many as eight points in the opening half before the Bulldogs caught fire.

UNC Asheville (5-4) was fueled by Devon Baker's 37 points while Tajion Jones scored 21 points. Coty Jude (13 points) and LJ Thorpe (12 points, 10 rebounds) also paced the Bulldogs, who grabbed 18 offensive rebounds on their way to a 44-32 advantage on the glass.

The Skyhawks scored each of their first eight points in the paint, as a Quintin Dove layup at the 16:33 mark gave UT Martin its first lead of the day at 9-8. Eman Sertovic and Randall canned three-pointers on back-to-back trips down the floor before a thunderous fast break dunk by Randall pushed the Skyhawks ahead by a 21-13 margin. UNC Asheville soon used a 28-9 run to open up a double-digit lead at the halftime break (48-37).

Randall was responsible for a team-high 14 points in the first 20 minutes while Baker's 17 points led the Bulldogs, who shot an even 50 percent (9-of-18) from beyond the three-point arc.

Stewart began the second half with six consecutive points as UT Martin was able to get back within single digits. The trio of Stewart, Randall and Hawthorne combined to tally the Skyhawks' first 23 points of the second stanza but UNC Asheville took its first 20-point lead of the contest with just under nine minutes remaining. A fast break layup by Hawthorne at the 4:57 mark closed UT Martin's gap to 14 points (80-66) but that was ultimately as close as the Skyhawks would get the rest of the way.

UT Martin wraps up its treacherous eight-game road swing next week when it takes on No. 11 Baylor as part of the six-team Battleground 2k19 event. Tipoff from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 18 is set for 9 p.m. on ESPNU.

Gallery: (12/14/2019) MBB at UNC Asheville