SKYHAWK MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS VICTIM TO HOT-SHOOTING BELMONT, 90-69

Saturday, January 2

Martin, Tenn.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

3-4,1-2OVC

Belmont

10-1,4-0OVC

Belmont

UT Martin

SKYHAWK MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS VICTIM TO HOT-SHOOTING BELMONT, 90-69

1/2/2021 8:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score PDF Boxscore Highlights Photo Gallery

MARTIN, Tenn. – Four University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks scored in double figures this afternoon but the Ohio Valley Conference-leading Belmont Bruins claimed a 90-69 win in men's basketball action at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.

UT Martin won the turnover battle (18 to 16) and also held a 14-point advantage from the charity stripe (25 to 11) today but the first half proved to be costly. Belmont shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) while the Skyhawks were limited to 21.7 percent shooting (5-of-23) from the floor during the first 20 minutes.

Cameron Holden topped UT Martin in scoring for the fifth time this season, securing 16 points to go along with a game-high seven rebounds. Eden Holt added 13 points while the frontcourt duo of Jaron Williams (11) and Ajani Kennedy (10) additionally added a scoring punch. Kenton Eskridge divvied out a game-best seven assists and a team-high three steals for the Skyhawks, who are now 3-4 overall with a 1-2 OVC record.

Belmont (10-1, 4-0 OVC) was led by Ben Sheppard's 21 points, seven rebounds and six steals. JaCobi Wood accumulated 17 points off the bench while Nick Muszynski was responsible for 13 points.

"I thought we were executing on the offensive end but the ball wouldn't go in the hole for us in the first half," UT Martin interim head coach Montez Robinson said. "We're a really good shooting team – we had some wide open looks in the first half and you have to make teams pay. In the second half, we came out and matched Belmont's intensity. This is mostly a new bunch and we are going through some growing pains but we'd rather make these mistakes in the first part of conference play than to make them later down the line."

Gallery: (1-2-2021) MBB vs. Belmont

After the Bruins scored the first bucket of the day, a pair of Hannes Polla free throws and a Holden driving layup on a fast break provided the Skyhawks with their first lead of the day.

Belmont answered with an 18-2 run before a Williams trifecta pulled UT Martin back within single digits (20-11) at the 10:43 mark of the first half. However, the Bruins scored 18 of the next 24 points on their way to a 44-24 advantage at the halftime break.

Williams and Holden shared the Skyhawk lead in scoring in the first 20 points, as each provided seven points. Sheppard was responsible for a dozen points to pace Belmont in the first half.

UT Martin faced its biggest deficit of the day (28 points) with 14:47 remaining but soon would make a run. Five different Skyhawks chipped in with buckets during an extended 19-4 UT Martin run that spanned 4:41. Holt poured in eight points during the run – including three-pointers on back-to-back possessions – before a Polla offensive rebound and putback made the score 61-48.

Just as they did in the first half, the Bruins were able to respond with a run of their own, using an 18-6 run to put the game out of reach in the closing minutes.

The Skyhawks go back on the road next week as they start a two-game swing through Nashville against Tennessee State on Thursday, Jan. 7. Tipoff time from the Gentry Center is set for 8 p.m.