MARTIN, Tenn. – In a matchup of two of the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, it was Southern Indiana who picked up the road win against the University of Tennessee at Martin in a women’s basketball head-to-head showdown by a final score of 73-67 in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.
The game featured 11 lead changes and six ties, Southern Indiana used a big third quarter and held off a late Skyhawk rally down the stretch to pick up their 12th conference win of the season and remain cemented atop the league standings. Both teams shot 46 percent from the field – but it was a 22-point third quarter which pushed the visitors’ advantage out to as large as nine points – which proved to be the difference in the game.
The Skyhawks (10-14, 7-6 OVC) put three players in double figures with the Arkansas tandem of Josie Storey and Kenley McCarn each scoring 20 points. Storey knocked down 6-of-8 three-point attempts while McCarn built upon her recent OVC Freshman of the Week honor after going 7-of-13 from the field on the way to her eighth 20-point effort of the season.
“They made us uncomfortable, and I was kind of shocked that they did that to us,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “Give them credit because they found a way to put us on our heels, pounded us down low and we couldn’t find an answer. We have to find a way to get rolling again after really playing well for a good stretch over the last road trip. The good thing is these kids aren’t going to quit.”
Southern Indiana (17-6, 12-1 OVC) increased its lead in the league standings behind a well-rounded offensive effort. Ali Saunders paced the team with 20 points – knocking down 6-of-8 three-point attempts – while Chloe Gannon recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Screaming Eagles also received 10 points from the tandem of Madison Webb and Vanessa Shafford in the win.
UT Martin remains at home when playing host to OVC foe Morehead State on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff from the Elam Center is scheduled for 1 p.m.
