The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball squad had an uncharacteristically off shooting night Thursday evening, dropping a 72-45 decision to Patriot League champion Holy Cross in the NCAA Tournament First Four at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Skyhawks conclude the 2023-24 campaign with a 16-17 overall record.
UT Martin shot 26.2 percent (16-for-61) from the floor while the Crusaders made 10 of their season-high 12 three-pointers in the first half. All 10 Skyhawk players who dressed out saw playing time in UT Martin’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.
“I was worried about the seniors for Holy Cross and their system – they’re a very good team,” Skyhawk head coach Kevin McMillan said. “We looked a step slow and as out of sync as I’ve seen us since mid-January and I take full responsibility for that. I wish we had looked like we did in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament – I thought the big break would help us but it didn’t.”
Anaya Brown led UT Martin in scoring for the 12th time this season, collecting 15 points while tying a team-high with six rebounds. Kenley McCarn scored 12 points with six rebounds and three steals while Love Mays (10 points) scored in double figures for the sixth time this season while snaring six rebounds. Lexi Rubel was the fourth Skyhawk to tie a team-high with six rebounds.
“Every time I’ve asked these kids to do something, they’ve done it,” McMillan said. “For them to play out of position, play 38 minutes a game while battling through injuries and give everything they have for their teammates – they have continually raised the bar. They are great ambassadors for our university and I’m proud to be associated with them. They’re upset now but at some point it’ll sink in what they were able to do this year. If we could use this experience as a springboard, we could be really good for the next 2-3 years.”
The Crusaders (21-12) were led by Cara McCormack’s 24 points while Bronagh Power-Cassidy added 15 points.
After a Holy Cross three-pointer opened the game’s scoring, a McCarn floater at the 7:49 mark of the first quarter got the Skyhawks on the scoreboard. Brown scored UT Martin’s next four points, trimming the Skyhawk deficit to two points with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Crusaders responded with an 8-0 run and eventually took a 22-13 advantage after 10 minutes.
Holy Cross began the second quarter with three consecutive treys before a short jumper by Brown ended the run. Mays scored five of UT Martin’s nine points down the stretch in the second quarter as the Skyhawks trailed by a 45-24 margin at the intermission.
Mays and Brown each had eight points at the break to pace UT Martin while McCormack (18 points) and Power-Cassidy (11) were each in double figures in the scoring column for the Crusaders.
Brown accounted for five of the Skyhawks’ eight points in the third quarter. Following a fast break layup from Mays at the 3:17 mark, Holy Cross ended the stanza on an 8-1 surge.
Five different UT Martin players scored in the final quarter. McCarn scored the first six points for the Skyhawks before Josie Storey (free throw), Brown (putback from an offense rebound), Sophie Singleton (two free throws) and Mah Minthe (floater) each contributed points over the final four minutes of the contest.