LATE DEFENSIVE STANDS LIFT UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL PAST WILLIAM WOODS, 78-75

Wednesday, December 20

Martin, Tenn.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

7-6,0-0OVC

William Woods

1-1

William Woods

UT Martin

LATE DEFENSIVE STANDS LIFT UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL PAST WILLIAM WOODS, 78-75

12/20/2023 5:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn. – A trio of defensive stops inside the final minute capped off a competitive contest at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center this afternoon as the University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball team held on for a 78-75 victory over William Woods.

Neither side led by more than one possession over the final 11:13 as 13 different lead changes and four ties took place from that point forward. Overall, there were 25 lead changes and 12 ties today as the Skyhawks and the NAIA opponent from Fulton, Mo. exchanged momentum throughout the game.

After the Owls (7-4) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to go ahead by two points with 1:12 to go, Jordan Sears swished a pair of free throws to even the score at 75-all. A swarming UT Martin doubleteam resulted in an errant shot on the other end as Jacob Crews blocked the attempt and made a fast break layup with 23 seconds remaining. Sebastian Mendoza – who was in on the previous doubleteam and had the assist on Crews' go-ahead bucket – then forced a turnover with a steal and made one free throw on the other end. Inbounding the ball with six seconds left on the clock, William Woods hoisted a potential game-tying three-pointer but the shot caromed off the rim.

Sears carried the Skyhawks offensively for most of the day, wrapping up his day with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting with a 10-for-12 effort from the free throw line. Crews tossed in 13 of his 15 points in the second half while Desmond Williams' 13 points rounded out UT Martin's double-digit scorers. David Kamwanga added seven points and a game-high eight rebounds as the Skyhawks clinched a winning record (7-6) going into their Ohio Valley Conference schedule.

Entering the game having not lost since Nov. 11, the Owls received double figure scoring performances out of Nate Schwartze (21 points), Tre Titus (14), Henry Shannon III (13) and Kyle Belgrave II (10). William Woods led by eight points at the halftime break but were held to 35.5 percent (11-of-31) shooting and a 4-for-15 effort from three-point range (26.7 percent) in the final 20 minutes.

"We were not our best today but give William Woods credit – they're going to have a chance to play in the NAIA national tournament," UT Martin head coach Ryan Ridder said. "In the second half we found a way to play our style of basketball and ultimately go 1-0 on the day. We're trending in the right direction and we're going to shore things up over the holiday break and try to compete for a championship one day at a time."

The Owls scored eight of the first 10 points before Sears caught fire. The junior guard from Daytona Beach, Fla. scored 14 of the Skyhawks' 18 points during a 5:41 stretch to tilt the score back in favor of UT Martin.

After a backdown layup by Kenny White, Jr. gave the Skyhawks a 22-16 advantage at the 10:17 mark, William Woods went on a 10-0 run to go back on top.

A putback by Christian Fussell, trifecta from Williams and a turnaround jumper from Crews comprised a quick 7-0 surge for UT Martin, who took a 29-26 advantage immediately thereafter.

The Owls then went on a 17-3 run before a deep Justus Jackson trey right before the halftime buzzer trimmed the Skyhawk deficit to 43-35.

Sears was responsible for a game-high 17 points in the first half but nine UT Martin turnovers led to 14 points for William Woods. The Owls were led by Schwartze's 15 points as William Woods shot 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

The Skyhawks came out of the locker room fired up on both ends, scoring seven straight and 12 of first 15 points while holding the Owls to just one field goal in the first 5:26. A pair of free throws from Williams at the 14:48 mark gave UT Martin its first lead (47-46) in 10:34 of clock time.

William Woods did not back down, snatching back a four-point lead coming out of the under-12 media timeout. Five straight points from Crews and two Koby Jeffries free throws gave the Skyhawks the lead less than 90 seconds later and that back-and-forth pace would carry on for the rest of the game.

White scored five straight points for UT Martin at one point – pushing the Skyhawks ahead by a 65-62 margin with 6:35 left to play. Kamwanga had a clutch old-fashioned three-point play with five minutes remaining that turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead.

The duo of Sears (five) and Crews (four) joined forces to score UT Martin's next nine points down the stretch before Mendoza's free throw concluded the game's scoring.

The Skyhawks now shift to OVC play as their first of 18 league contests will take place on Thursday, Dec. 28 at Tennessee State.