In a game that featured 15 lead changes and seven tie scores, the UTM men’s basketball team was outlasted by Belmont in an 85-78 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) setback.
The Skyhawks (5-10, 1-3 OVC) trailed by one point at the halftime break but carried a 67-66 lead into the final media timeout of the game. However, the Bruins responded with a 12-2 run over the next 2:44 and UTM could not recover.
Quintin Dove accumulated his third double-double in the last five games, tallying game-highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds. The senior forward from Cleveland, Ohio went 10-for-16 from the field and snared 10 offensive rebounds.
Joining Dove in double-figures scoring was Derek Hawthorne, Jr. (22 points, season-high nine rebounds) and Parker Stewart (21 points, five rebounds, five assists). Steve Wooten, Jr. added a stat line of seven points, nine rebounds and five steals while Eric Rustin swatted away four blocks for the Skyhawks, who out-rebounded Belmont by a 42-41 margin.
The Bruins (12-5, 3-1 OVC) placed six scorers in double digits, paced by Grayson Murphy’s 19 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and four steals. Adam Kunkel also chipped in 19 points while Nick Muszynski collected a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Belmont additionally received steady scoring contributions from Tyler Scanlon (14 points), Mitch Listau (11 points) and Caleb Hollander (10 points).
“I thought we played hard – our effort was definitely there,” UTM head coach Anthony Stewart said. “When we had them on the ropes, we didn’t get enough stops when it counted. We’re still trying to find our way with our chemistry but we need to improve our defense and defensive rebounding.”
A steal and score by Wooten opened the game and resulted in an early Skyhawk lead. Neither side led by more than four points until the Bruins took a 20-15 advantage at the 8:11 mark of the first half. Belmont stretched its lead out to seven points with 4:27 to go before the halftime break but Hawthorne got hot late. The senior guard from Indianapolis, Ind. pumped in UTM’s final 10 points of the half to help the Skyhawks trim their deficit to 37-36 at the intermission.
Hawthorne’s 12 first-half points led all scorers while Kunkel produced 11 points to top the Bruins.
Stewart knocked down a trifecta from the right corner to tilt the score in favor of UTM at 39-37 just eight seconds into the second half. A bucket by Stewart in the lane at the 15:36 mark provided the Skyhawks with a 47-44 lead before Belmont unreeled a 7-0 run. The Bruins took a 60-54 advantage with 9:39 left to play but UTM came right back with an 11-4 run. A deep straightaway trey from Stewart provided the Skyhawks with a 65-64 lead before a Dove putback gave UTM its final lead of the evening at the last media timeout. Belmont’s aforementioned run followed and despite a late four-point play by Hawthorne, the Skyhawks would not get any closer than five points the rest of the way.
UTM rounds out its four-game homestand next week when it takes on Murray State (7:30 p.m. on Jan. 16) and Austin Peay (4 p.m. on Jan. 18).
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