MARTIN, Tenn. – A tough fourth quarter for the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball proved to be the difference in the game, as the Skyhawks were outscored by nine in the final period, ultimately falling to defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Little Rock by a 57-48 margin.
In a back-and-forth battle through the first three quarters which featured 11 lead changes and six ties, it was Little Rock who turned up the intensity in the fourth quarter to propel the squad to a road victory. With the score knotted up at 42 points apiece heading into the fourth, the Trojans finished the game on a 9-0 run while forcing 13 turnovers in the final 10 minutes to pull out the win.
The Skyhawks (6-10, 3-2 OVC) struggled to take care of the ball, finishing the game with 26 turnovers which directly led to 26 points for the visitors. The turnover bug did not discriminate as five players finished with four miscues.
UT Martin was on pace for another stellar shooting performance after knocking down its shots at a 56 percent clip through the first three quarter, but were able to convert just 2-of-10 attempts in the final quarter. The squad also placed just two players in double figures with Kenley McCarn scoring a game-high 17 points while Anaya Brown posting her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“I think it was a game that we expected, but we were the ones to blink in the last minute and they executed,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “It’s not rocket science though, we turned the ball over 26 times. I do give them credit because they executed and got the shots they wanted in the final minutes. Hopefully we can learn something from this moving forward.”
Little Rock (5-11, 4-1 OVC) shot just 40.7 percent from the field but balanced out its scoring opportunities by committing just eight turnovers. The Trojans forced 26 turnovers and tallied 14 steals in the road win while placing three players in double figures. Faith Lee paced the squad with 16 points while Leilani Wimbish-Gay (13 points) and Jayla Brooks (10 points) also reach double digits.
The Skyhawks hit the road for the first time in 2024 next week when traveling to Morehead State on Thursday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. central time.
