UT MARTIN MEN'S HOOPS RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A SATURDAY HOME TILT AGAINST IN-STATE OVC RIVAL BELMONT

Saturday, January 2

Martin, Tenn.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

Belmont

UT MARTIN MEN'S HOOPS RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A SATURDAY HOME TILT AGAINST IN-STATE OVC RIVAL BELMONT

12/31/2020 9:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – The 2021 calendar year opens for the University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball team when it hosts the Belmont Bruins in an Ohio Valley Conference showdown on Saturday, Jan. 2 at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. The game, which is the backend of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team, will tip off at 4 p.m.

This marks the second time in the last four days that the Skyhawks (3-3, 1-1 OVC) have been matched up against an unbeaten squad in the OVC standings. On Wednesday, UT Martin gave a valiant effort before falling by an 80-70 margin at Jacksonville State. In that game, Cameron Holden generated game-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds while Anthony Thomas (15 points) and La-Quiem Walker (10 points) also scored in double figures.

Holden's performance was a historical one, as the junior forward became the first player to ever begin his Skyhawk career with back-to-back double-doubles in his first two OVC games. His big outing against Jacksonville State came only 12 days after a game-high 24-point, 10-rebound effort in his league debut at Southeast Missouri.

Although the all-time series between these two squads is knotted at 20-all, the Bruins have won each of the nine meetings since joining the OVC during the 2012-13 season. Two of the last three matchups against Belmont in the Elam Center have been decided by single digits, including an 85-78 decision last season.

The Bruins (9-1, 3-0 OVC) are coming off an impressive 68-55 home triumph over fellow OVC heavyweight Murray State on Wednesday. Ben Sheppard went off for a career-best 21 points for Belmont, who connected on 60 percent of its field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes after taking a 26-25 lead into the halftime break.

Luke Smith, a transfer from Division III University of the South, has emerged as one of the OVC's best players. He currently ranks second nationally in steals (29) and third in the NCAA Division I ranks in three-point field goals made (35).

Chris Brinkley will have the play-by-play call of the action live on ESPN+ as well as locally on WCMT Radio 1410 AM/100.5 FM. Those links - plus a link to follow along with live stats - are located above.