By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team posted its best offensive effort of the season while placing four players in double figures but ultimately dropped a heartbreaker to Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Illinois on Thursday evening by a final scored of 81-77.
In a game which featured 16 lead changes and saw the score become tied on 14 occasions, UT Martin and Eastern Illinois went back-and-forth all night in a heated league contest. The Skyhawks scored a season-high 77 points on the night while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 52.0 percent beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Panthers were even better from the field where they shot at a 50.9 percent clip in an offensive shootout.
The Skyhawks (5-12, 2-4 OVC) led for nearly 18 minutes of action – as opposed to EIU’s 12 – and took narrow one-point margins into both halftime and the fourth quarter. After the second quarter featured seven lead changes alone, the fourth proved to be as hotly contested with the score becoming tied five times and changing hands three times down the stretch. The game saw the score become tied for the final time with 1:23 to play before a three-pointer by Morgan Litwiller gave the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish.
UT Martin placed four players in double figures for just the second time this season. Junior guard Paige Pipkin led the team once again in the scoring column with 20 points – including 17 points in the second half – while leading the team with five assists. Also boasting an impressive performance was sophomore guard Seygan Robins who returned to the starting lineup for the first time since suffering a foot injury on Nov. 20 and responded by setting a new career-high with 19 points along with dishing out four assists. Joining the pair in double figures was the duo of Holly Forbes (10 points, seven rebounds) and Shae Littleford (10 points, four assists, three steals).
“It was a great game, our kids battled but kind of got gassed,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “I think Litwiller made the difference with that big shot she made late. Somebody had to make a big play, we made a defensive mistake, and she made a shot. We battled back and I am pleased with the game. There are a lot of little mental mistakes that you can’t make and we made them, so if we get better from it, we are in good shape.”
Eastern Illinois (9-10, 4-4 OVC) picked up its third win in the last four games behind a big night from Litwiller to lead all scorers off the bench. In just over 25 minutes of action, Litwiller scored 28 points – knocking down 7-of-10 three-point attempts – while snatching six rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Abby Wahl who tallied 17 points and six boards while Lariah Washington notched 16 points, seven assists and six boards for the Panthers to snap a 12-game losing streak in Martin.
UT Martin will have a quick return to action with a trip to OVC rival Belmont on Saturday, Jan. 29. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information