Although academics were put on hold over the holiday break, athletics were not.
The Skyhawks were busy with the men and women’s basketball teams competing in nine games, several of which had overtime finishes and one with an unbelievable buzzer beater.
Additionally, the softball schedule for the spring was released, and a recruit joined the men’s basketball team mid-year.
Men’s Basketball
On Dec. 15, the Skyhawk men’s team maintained their perfect at-home record with a 108-79 win over Brescia University.
They continued this success on Dec. 18, with Preston Parks providing a wild end to the game against the UTC Mocs with a 75-foot buzzer beater, to finish the game 75-72. The win came as a pleasant surprise considering last year the Skyhawks fell to UTC by a close margin (66-63). The history between the two teams increased the excitement of the 75-foot buzzer beater.
On Dec. 22, the men’s basketball team traveled to Fresno State in California to battle the west coast powerhouse. The final score was 93-53, with Fresno State winning, bringing the Skyhawks record to 5-5.
They lost again to Bowling Green on Dec. 30, 94-80.
On Jan. 3, the men’s team faced off against their counterparts in Eastern Illinois University and lost in overtime.
The Skyhawks competed against Southeast Missouri University on Jan. 5, but lost in overtime after a large halftime lead.
Additionally, Craig Randall II joined the UTM basketball program via mid-year transfer. Randall comes from Duquesne University, where he sat out the season after playing for the University of Memphis for two seasons.
Women’s Basketball
On Dec. 19, the women’s basketball team picked up another win with a 100-69 finish against the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The women’s basketball team record is 7-3.
After the Christmas holiday, the women’s team finished their non-conference slate on Dec. 29 with a 110-51 win against Mississippi Valley State.
Against Eastern Illinois University on Jan. 3, the women’s team fell short in their OVC opener.
Just a week before the start of school, on Jan. 5, the women’s team overcame an 18-point deficit to claim their first OVC victory against Southeast Missouri University.
Football
On Dec. 19, Hero Sports ranked UTM’s early season signing-class for the football team number one in the OVC and second in the nation. The 24 players come from nine states across the U.S.
The Skyhawks also announced that six of their football players were placed on the OVC All-Conference team on Jan. 9.
Softball
The Skyhawks released their 2019 softball schedule on Monday, Jan. 7.
With the start of the season just days away, the Skyhawks are set to begin on home turf Feb. 23 with a five-game tournament. This will be the first of 20 scheduled home games.
Stay tuned to The Pacer for updates on all Skyhawks sports this semester.
Photo Credit / Sports Information
