Saturday, January 21
Martin, Tenn.
3:30 p.m.
UT Martin
vs
Eastern Illinois
SKYHAWK MEN'S BASKETBALL COMMENCES THREE-GAME HOMESTAND AGAINST OVC RIVAL EASTERN ILLINOIS TOMORROW
1/20/2023 12:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MARTIN, Tenn. – Coming off its most complete all-around performance of the season, the University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball squad looks to continue that momentum against Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 21. The game serves as the backend of a doubleheader with the women's squad and will tip off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Skyhawks (12-8, 4-3 OVC) soared to an 80-60 road win at Southeast Missouri on Thursday evening thanks to a superb effort on both ends of the floor. UT Martin connected on 55.8 percent of its field goal attempts (a season-high against NCAA Division I opponents) and held the Redhawks to 31.7 percent shooting. Jordan Sears (20 points) topped the Skyhawks in scoring for the third consecutive game while his backcourt mates Parker Stewart (16 points), KJ Simon (14) and Desmond Williams (11) were also responsible for double-digit scoring efforts. As a result, UT Martin earned its first 20-plus point OVC road win since Feb. 1, 2017.
The high-scoring Skyhawks (first in the OVC with 81.6 points per outing) have cranked up the defensive intensity in league play. UT Martin leads the conference in field goal percentage defense (.397) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.307) against OVC opposition.
Although the Skyhawks are 17-10 all-time against the Panthers at home, this series has provided plenty of close calls. Since the 2015-16 season, three of the seven games between these two sides inside the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center have gone into overtime - including a double overtime thriller in 2017.
Eastern Illinois (7-13, 3-4 OVC) closed out nonconference play with an impressive 92-83 road win at Iowa and was the only school to start the OVC slate with a 2-0 record. Since then, the Panthers have lost four of their last five outings, including a 78-74 decision at Tennessee State on Thursday. Despite the setback, current OVC Newcomer of the Week Kinyon Hodges poured in 22 points for the Panthers, who pace the league in steals (8.7 per game) and blocked shots (4.1 per contest) in conference play.
Chris Brinkley (play-by-play) and Eddie Suiter (color) will broadcast the action live on ESPN+ and locally on WCMT Radio 1410 AM/100.5 FM. Those coverage links, as well as a link to follow along with live stats, can be found at the top of the webpage.
The Skyhawks (12-8, 4-3 OVC) soared to an 80-60 road win at Southeast Missouri on Thursday evening thanks to a superb effort on both ends of the floor. UT Martin connected on 55.8 percent of its field goal attempts (a season-high against NCAA Division I opponents) and held the Redhawks to 31.7 percent shooting. Jordan Sears (20 points) topped the Skyhawks in scoring for the third consecutive game while his backcourt mates Parker Stewart (16 points), KJ Simon (14) and Desmond Williams (11) were also responsible for double-digit scoring efforts. As a result, UT Martin earned its first 20-plus point OVC road win since Feb. 1, 2017.
The high-scoring Skyhawks (first in the OVC with 81.6 points per outing) have cranked up the defensive intensity in league play. UT Martin leads the conference in field goal percentage defense (.397) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.307) against OVC opposition.
Although the Skyhawks are 17-10 all-time against the Panthers at home, this series has provided plenty of close calls. Since the 2015-16 season, three of the seven games between these two sides inside the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center have gone into overtime - including a double overtime thriller in 2017.
Eastern Illinois (7-13, 3-4 OVC) closed out nonconference play with an impressive 92-83 road win at Iowa and was the only school to start the OVC slate with a 2-0 record. Since then, the Panthers have lost four of their last five outings, including a 78-74 decision at Tennessee State on Thursday. Despite the setback, current OVC Newcomer of the Week Kinyon Hodges poured in 22 points for the Panthers, who pace the league in steals (8.7 per game) and blocked shots (4.1 per contest) in conference play.
Chris Brinkley (play-by-play) and Eddie Suiter (color) will broadcast the action live on ESPN+ and locally on WCMT Radio 1410 AM/100.5 FM. Those coverage links, as well as a link to follow along with live stats, can be found at the top of the webpage.
Players Mentioned
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