MARTIN, Tenn. – A pair of impressive double-doubles by sophomore forwards Anaya Brown and Lexi Rubel keyed a strong second half comeback to lift the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team to a 52-44 Ohio Valley Conference victory over visiting Southeast Missouri.
The Skyhawks (7-11, 4-3 OVC) used a 12-2 run in the third quarter and outscored the Redhawks by 14 in the second half to propel the squad to a home victory. The path was not simple for the home team however, as the squad shot just 29.6 percent from the floor while being limited to 18 points in the opening half.
Despite the team’s offensive shortcomings, UT Martin hammered the boards where they snagged a season-high 49 rebounds – including 16 on the offensive glass. The tandem of Brown and Rubel carried a heavy load for the Skyhawks with both players registering double-doubles and combining for 30 rebounds. The tandem became the first Skyhawk duo to record double-doubles in the same game since the 2019-20 campaign.
Brown paced the Skyhawks in both points and rebounds with 14 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the home team. The game marked the first 20-rebound performance by a Skyhawk since the 2008-09 season while joining Mary Kate Long and Phyllisha Mitchell as the lone players in UT Martin history to eclipse 20 rebounds. Joining in the double-double action was Rubel who tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
“It was an ugly win, but they are so hard to come by,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “We came out in the second half and started forcing the ball inside to find Anaya while Lexi took a big role in the offense, and thankfully it worked. That was not a pretty game, but that is how we are going to have to win basketball games this year. We are the team that can lose to anybody, but we also have the players to beat anyone. The problem is our depth, so we have to find creative ways to win.”
Southeast Missouri (6-12, 3-4 OVC) struggled from the field as well, shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor. Jaliyah Green joined her counterpart Brown with a game-high 14 points while adding five rebounds. Guard Daejah Richmond also scored in double figures, adding 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Redhawks.
UT Martin caps off its home stand with a matchup against Lindenwood on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tipoff from the Elam Center is slated for 1 p.m.
