SENIOR DUO OF PERRY AND WALDROP LIFT SKYHAWK TO 69-53 WIN OVER OVC LEADER AUSTIN PEAY IN HOME DEBUT

Thursday, January 14

Martin, Tenn.

5 p.m.

UT Martin

4-3, 3-1OVC

Austin Peay

7-3, 5-1OVC

Austin Peay

UT Martin

SENIOR DUO OF PERRY AND WALDROP LIFT SKYHAWK TO 69-53 WIN OVER OVC LEADER AUSTIN PEAY IN HOME DEBUT

1/14/2021 9:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score PDF Postgame Press Conference Highlights Photo Gallery

MARTIN, Tenn. – After waiting 320 days to play its first game in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in front of its home fans, the University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team relied on a dependable pair to carry the home team to an impressive 69-53 victory over Ohio Valley Conference leader Austin Peay on Thursday night.

The Skyhawks (4-3, 3-1 OVC) played their first contest on Pat Summitt Court since Feb. 29, 2020 – a night in which the home squad clinched the 2020 OVC regular season title. Since that time UT Martin has played its first six games of the 2020-21 season on the road before finally playing its home opener against Austin Peay tonight.

Despite the long layoff in its friendly confines, UT Martin continued its string of past success on its home court by improving its impressive record at home over the past 12 seasons to 117-25 overall. The Skyhawks have been even more dominant against OVC foes with an 83-11 mark.

UT Martin relied heavily on the All-OVC senior tandem of Chelsey Perry and Maddie Waldrop to carry the load offensively and on the boards. Fresh off her third OVC Player of the Week award this season, Perry posted her fourth double-double of the season with 32 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The contest marked several personal achievements for the senior forward as it secured her 11^th career 30-point outing and 14^th career double-double but also saw her climb up a pair of UT Martin career leaderboards. With two blocks tonight, Perry tied the program record for career blocks with 203 set by Mary Kate Long (1985-89) while her 32 points moved her into fifth place on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,703 points to surpass Tara Tansil-Gentry (1991-95).

Waldrop found the breakout game she had been searching for in a big way against the Governors, tallying 21 points and six rebounds in the home opener. It marked the eighth time that Waldrop had scored 20 points or more in her career while just the first time this season that she had eclipsed double figures. Seygan Robins and Zaire Hicks ranked as the team's other top scorers with five points each while Dasia Young tallied three points and nine rebounds out of the starting lineup.

Gallery: (1-14-2021) WBB vs. Austin Peay

"We haven't played in Martin for almost a year so I'm glad that our kids finally got to play here," UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. "I wish our fans could see us more, especially our senior class. We're probably more thankful than anything that we are playing games. We've got a chance on Saturday to play two games in three days and I think right now more than anything, I think we need to get into a rhythm as a team and be ready to play."

A big reason for UT Martin's success was the Skyhawks ability to limit Austin Peay's three-point attack. The Governors (7-3, 5-1 OVC) entered the game ranked amongst the nation's leaders in several three-point categories but the Skyhawks stymied them throughout the game – limiting them to just made three pointers while shooting 7-of-27 from beyond the arc (25.9 percent). The Governors saw two players score in double figures with Shay-Lee Kirby scoring a team-high 13 points off the bench while Kasey Kidwell tossed in 10 points. The Skyhawks limited the Govs leading scorer Maggie Knowles (14.5 ppg) to zero points on the night on six field goal attempts.

The Skyhawks trailed for less than a minute in the whole contest before riding a 12-0 run to finish the first quarter with a 24-10 advantage. UT Martin stayed aggressive in the first half by totaling 40 points in the opening 20 minute segment – equaling its highest single scoring half of the season and stringing together a streak of three consecutive 40-point halves over the past two games.

UT Martin would push its advantage out to as large as 22 points late in the third quarter, taking a 54-32 lead into the fourth. Austin Peay would chip away at the margin in the fourth quarter – cutting the lead down to as little as 14 with less than a minute to play but it was too little too late.

A quick turnaround is on the horizon as the Skyhawks return to host Murray State on Saturday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.