STIFLING DEFENSE ALLOWS UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOLD ON FOR A 66-64 OVC TRIUMPH OVER TENNESSEE TECH

Saturday, February 6

Martin, Tenn.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

6-11,4-9OVC

Tennessee Tech

2-18,2-11OVC

Tennessee Tech

UT Martin

STIFLING DEFENSE ALLOWS UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOLD ON FOR A 66-64 OVC TRIUMPH OVER TENNESSEE TECH

2/6/2021 8:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – For the first time this season, the University of Tennessee at Martin overcame a halftime deficit to post a victory as the Skyhawk men's basketball squad grinded out a 66-64 Ohio Valley Conference win against Tennessee Tech at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.

UT Martin trailed by a 41-40 margin at the halftime break as the visiting Golden Eagles shot 52 percent (13-of-25) from the field – including a 7-for-15 effort from three-point range. However, the Skyhawks cranked up the heat on the defensive end over the final 20 minutes, limiting Tennessee Tech to just 34.6 percent shooting (9-of-26) and a 2-for-12 effort from outside the three-point arc.

Jaron Williams continued his remarkable play today as he topped UT Martin in scoring for the fourth time in the last five outings. The junior forward out of Rock Hill, SC dialed up a game-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting (plus a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line. Kenton Eskridge also reached double figures in the scoring column as he posted 12 points while divvying out a game-high six assists.

Defensively, Ajani Kennedy pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds while Cameron Holden swiped a game-high three steals to help the Skyhawks improve to 6-11 overall with a 4-9 mark in OVC play.

Tennessee Tech (2-18, 2-11 OVC) placed a trio of scorers in double digits, led by Keishawn Davidson's 15 points. Austin Harvell and Jr. Clay each contributed 14 points apiece for the Golden Eagles.

"I'm really ecstatic about our team's effort," UT Martin interim head coach Montez Robinson said. "It was a gutsy performance down the stretch – we had to put together some stops and execute offensively. The guys have been doing a great job taking to coaching and I thought our execution of the gameplan was really good today."

Gallery: (2-6-2021) MBB vs. Tennessee Tech

It was a back-and-forth battle for a majority of the game as the lead changed hands nine times and there were five tie scores. Tennessee Tech scored the opening four points of the contest before back-to-back buckets by Eman Sertovic (three-pointer) and Williams (pull-up mid-range jumper) provided the Skyhawks with their first lead of the day.

The Golden Eagles answered with a 7-0 run and kept the advantage until Vinnie Viana knocked down trifectas on consecutive trips down the floor to tilt the score in favor of the Skyhawks at 29-26 with a little under seven minutes to go in the first half.

UT Martin's lead was short-lived as Tennessee Tech went on an 11-0 run. The Skyhawks kept chipping away and eventually scored the final six points of the first half as a Sertovic floater with three seconds remaining provided the 41-40 score at the break.

Williams and Harvell each accounted for game-highs of 12 points to lead their respective squads.

The Skyhawks' first five points of the second half belonged to Williams, who converted an old-fashioned three-point play at the 18:23 mark to give UT Martin a 45-43 advantage.

Both sides slowed down offensively for an extended stretch as the Golden Eagles led by a 56-53 margin with a little under nine minutes left to play. Kennedy then buried a straightaway three-pointer, igniting a 12-1 spurt that lasted 4:47. A Kennedy transition layup that was caused by a Holden steal off the inbounds pass provided the Skyhawks with their biggest lead of the day (65-57) with 4:52 remaining.

Tennessee Tech kept fighting, putting together seven unanswered points as UT Martin clung to a 65-64 advantage with 1:49 to go. The Skyhawks did not allow another point as the Golden Eagles missed a pair of three-point tries and went 0-for-2 from the free throw line from that point forward. Eskridge calmly sank a free throw with six seconds left to play that resulted in the final 66-64 margin.

UT Martin concludes its season-long six-game homestand on Monday, Feb. 8 when it hosts Austin Peay. The in-state OVC rivals will tip off at 6 p.m., which was pushed up from a previously announced gametime of 8 p.m.