By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Despite playing without three of the team’s veteran contributors, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team pushed Ohio Valley Conference leader Belmont to the brink on Monday evening before ultimately falling just short in its upset attempt in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center by a final score of 45-39.
With the Skyhawks (7-15, 4-7 OVC) playing without top contributors Paige Pipkin, Seygan Robins and Kyannah Grant, the team turned to a methodical pace to limit possessions and focus on ball control to make up for its inequities. UT Martin put the reigns of the team into the hands of a young unit which featured three true freshman starters and the team’s 12th starting lineup combination this season in a matchup of two league rivals.
UT Martin’s squad proved up to the task throughout the contest by limiting the OVC’s top scoring offense which entered the game averaging 74.3 points per game against league foes to just 45 points – matching a season-low. Along with limiting the Bruins to just a 32.7 field goal percentage for the game, the Skyhawks held the visitors to just two field goals in their first 22 shot attempts and off the scoreboard for nearly the first four and a half minutes of the second period. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, the Skyhawks held a 17-16 advantage – ranking as a season-low for points allowed in a half.
Both teams saw an uptick in offense coming out of halftime with the Skyhawks posting their best offensive quarter by scoring 13 points in the period while shooting 50 percent from the floor. The Bruins held tough by knocking down four field goals of their own but still trailed by four points heading into the final quarter. Belmont ultimately took its first lead of the game with six minutes to play in the game to kickstart a sequence which featured five lead changes and three ties in the final minutes of action. The contest would remain a one-possession game until just under two minutes to go when Jamilyn Kinney and Tuti Jones knocked down three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to make it a five-point margin and drive a dagger through the Skyhawks’ upset bid.
The Skyhawks forced the Bruins into 10 turnovers while tallying six steals on the evening. UT Martin saw its best offensive production come from a pair of freshmen in forward Ella Thompson and guard Shae Littleford. Thompson led the Skyhawks with 15 points and added six rebounds while Littleford joined her in double figures with 11 points, four rebounds and four steals in 40 minutes of action.
“That was probably the best execute game we have had all year,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “I enjoyed coaching that bunch. You just hate it when a bunch deserves to win and they don’t. That was nothing short of a phenomenal effort from those guys. We played a bunch of freshmen against an experienced team. I have no problem with their effort. This is one of the best games that we have been in overall. We asked a lot from Ella, Shae and Holly (Forbes) and they responded.”
Belmont (14-7, 10-2 OVC) pulled out the comeback victory behind a game-high 17-point performance by Jones who also tallied nine rebounds and three steals in over 35 minutes of action. Jones knocked down four of the team’s eight made three-pointers on the evening while Kinney ranked second on the team with seven points.
The Skyhawks will look to recover before making a trip through the Land of Lincoln later this week beginning with a matchup against SIUE on Thursday, Feb. 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information