UT Martin Skyhawks men’s basketball held off Illinois State, while the Skyhawks women’s basketball team fell short.
Women’s Basketball:
UT Martin Skyhawks women’s basketball fell short in the season opener to the Northern Alabama Lions 64-60.
The Skyhawks made their goal of playing physical defense apparent as head coach Kevin McMillian called for the full-court press early in the first quarter. The Skyhawks forced turnovers and created shots in the paint after early struggles from beyond the arc.
The Skyhawks’ struggles from three-point range continued throughout the last three quarters, until a few clutch threes in the final moments made it a one-score game.
Forward Anaya Brown and guard Kenley McCarn led the team in points with 16 and 15 respectively. McCarn nailed two three-pointers in the final moments to shrink the deficit, but the Lions held on.
Although the Skyhawks had a rough night from beyond the arc, McCarn and company finished the game strong. Now they can look towards the future.
The Skyhawks now go on the road for a tough matchup against the Vols before returning home to host Louisville at 6 p.m. Nov. 12.
Men’s Basketball:
The UT Martin Skyhawks men’s basketball team, led by first-year head coach Jeremy Shulman, held off the Illinois State Redbirds in the season opener, despite a sloppy offensive performance in the first half.
The Skyhawks came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, jumping ahead to a 14-point lead with just under five minutes to go.
However, the Skyhawks allowed the Redbirds to crawl back and make it a one-point game.
After a long 90 seconds, the Skyhawks held on with a final score of 67-65 over the Redbirds in their sixth all-time meeting. The Redbirds won the first five matchups.
Guard Joshué Grullon led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds. Grullon also knocked down crucial and game-winning free throws.
Shulman, who now has his first Division One win of his coaching career, will take his team back to Martin for the home opener.
The Skyhawks will then go on the road for a six-game road trip before returning home to face Montreat on Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.
