NW Tennessee News

The University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball team came out hot at Southeast Missouri and never looked back, soaring to an 80-60 triumph over the Redhawks at the Show Me Center.
           
This evening's victory completed the Skyhawks' season sweep of Southeast Missouri, accomplishing that feat for just the sixth time since joining the Ohio Valley Conference in 1992. Tonight's win was also the largest margin of victory for UT Martin in the Show Me Center in a series that started in 1962.
 
The Skyhawks improved to 12-8 overall and 4-3 in league play following a sound performance on both ends of the floor. UT Martin shot 55.8 percent (29-of-52) – its highest mark against a NCAA Division I opponent this season – including a blazing 65.2 percent clip (15-of-23) in the second half. On the flipside, the Skyhawks held the Redhawks to 31.7 percent (20-for-63) shooting, including a 3-of-22 mark (13.6 percent) from long distance.
 
Jordan Sears led all scorers with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting while distributing a game-high four assists with four rebounds. Parker Stewart collected 16 points and five rebounds while KJ Simon posted 14 points and equaled a career-high with five steals. Desmond Williams completed UT Martin's double-digit scorers with 11 points while Jalen Myers hauled in a career-high eight rebounds in his first start as a Skyhawk – helping the squad win the battle on the glass by a commanding 38-24 margin.
 
Southeast Missouri (9-11, 4-3 OVC) was paced by Chris Harris' 16 points. Dylan Branson was the Redhawks' only other double-digit scorer as he was responsible for 10 points.
 
"Our staff did a heck of a job preparing – it was a really great defensive gameplan," UT Martin head coach Ryan Ridder said. "We're 11-1 this season when we outrebound opponents. When we guard like we did tonight and make the opponent take tough shots, that's a good formula for success. We're a good basketball team and nights like tonight give us a glimpse to see how special we can be." 

A Stewart stepback three-pointer 36 seconds into the game put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard. Sears scored UT Martin's next four points before four straight points by Simon resulted in a 13-5 Skyhawk lead at the 12:52 mark of the first half.
           
UT Martin soon scored 10 unanswered points – keyed by Simon. The senior lefty tossed in the final six points of the Skyhawk run as his strong take to the hoop gave UT Martin a 27-14 advantage with 4:41 to go before the halftime break.
           
Williams swished a straightaway three-pointer that pushed the Skyhawk lead out to 14 points at the under-4-minute media timeout.
           
Stewart then took over, pouring in UT Martin's final eight points of the half. The Union City, Tenn. native canned a pair of three-pointers and added two free throws in a span of 2:49, sending the Skyhawks into the locker room with a 38-24 lead.
           
Both Stewart (11 points) and Simon (10) reached double figures in the scoring column by halftime for UT Martin, who put on a defensive clinic in the first 20 minutes. Southeast Missouri shot just 22.6 percent (7-of-31) in the first half, including an 8.3-percent effort (1-for-12) from beyond the three-point line. Harris' eight points ranked as a team-high for the Redhawks.
           
Sears began the second half on a torrid stretch, generating nine of the Skyhawks' first 13 points. That included a 32-second sequence where he swished a deep stepback three-pointer and scored on a driving layup to push UT Martin's advantage out to 51-34 with just under 14 minutes remaining.
           
Southeast Missouri immediately followed with a 9-2 run to climb back within 10 points (53-43) at the 9:21 mark. Stewart stepped up with big plays on back-to-back trips down the floor, nailing a three-pointer from the left corner before a backdown turnaround jumper in the post to take away the Redhawk momentum.
           
A little over a minute later, Chris Nix successfully converted an old-fashioned three-point play to make the score 63-47 with 7:14 left to play. Trifectas on consecutive possessions by Williams and Josh Endicott extended the Skyhawk advantage out to 69-51.
           
Williams and Sears each provided five points apiece during a 10-3 run to close out the contest as a Sears fast break dunk with 29 seconds remaining gave UT Martin its biggest lead of the night at 80-60 – the final scoring margin.
           
The Skyhawks start a three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 21 when they host OVC rival Eastern Illinois. The game – which will serve as the backend of a doubleheader with the women's squad – will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Original source can be found here