MARTIN, Tenn. – Both University of Tennessee at Martin basketball teams will take part in a “Tip Off at Elam” glow event this Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public with no cost of admission.
The first 500 UT Martin students will receive a free t-shirt and free food. Skyhawk students will also be eligible to win a $500 scholarship and can obtain other prizes (including AirPods) throughout the evening, courtesy of event sponsors Leaders Credit Union, the UT Martin Student Government Association and Flight Crew.
A meet-and-greet and autograph session with both the Skyhawk women’s and men’s teams will kick off the night. Each UT Martin roster will be introduced and a three-point contest will follow. A halfcourt shot for the chance to win a scholarship will then take place before a “Skyhawk Super Fan 101” competition. Following a performance from the UT Martin band and Skyhawk cheer squad, prizes will be awarded at the end of the event.
Both UT Martin women’s and men’s teams were predicted to finish fourth in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference standings. Skyhawk women’s head coach Kevin McMillan enters his 15th season and returns seven players (three starters), including Preseason All-OVC guard Shae Littleford (13.0 points, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in 2022-23). UT Martin’s home opener is set for Thursday, Nov. 9 against Vanderbilt at 5:30 p.m.
Head coach Ryan Ridder is in his third season in charge of the Skyhawk men’s program. UT Martin brings six players and two starters from last season’s 19-win squad, including Preseason All-OVC honorees Jordan Sears (15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest) and KK Curry (8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals per outing, .584 field goal percentage). The Skyhawks open the 2023-24 campaign on Monday, Nov. 6 against Champion Christian at 6 p.m.
Season tickets are now on sale through the UT Martin Ticket Office by calling (731) 881-7207 or visiting this link: https://secure.touchnet.com/C21608_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1008&SINGLESTORE=true. Faculty/staff season tickets are available at the deeply discounted price of $85 per season ticket for chairback seating.
