MARTIN, Tenn. – All 11 University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball players who saw time today scored as the Skyhawks swished 16 three-pointers while cruising to a 114-61 triumph over Kentucky Christian in the 2024-25 home opener.
Today’s result marks the fifth 2-0 start to a season since UT Martin joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992 as the Skyhawks also won their first two decisions in 2020-21, 2010-11, 2002-03 and 2000-01. The 16 treys were tied for the second-most in program history, trailing only the 17 trifectas sank against Bethel on Dec. 13, 2022.
Matija Žužić’s 21 points led all scorers as UT Martin placed six scorers in double figures. Josué Grullon tallied 19 points (thanks in large part to 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range) in 16 minutes off the bench while Tarence Guinyard had a phenomenal stat line of 15 points (on 6-for-9 shooting), seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in just 22 minutes. AJ Hopkins (12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point land), Afan Trnka (11 points, six assists, five steals) and Lamine Niang (10 points, two blocks in 14 minutes) additionally contributed big scoring days.
Stefano Faloppa (game-high nine rebounds in 18 minutes) and Carlos Cortijo (game-high seven assists in 21 minutes) also shined for the Skyhawks, who were a perfect 12-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc while shooting 57.3 percent (43-for-75) overall and 43.2 percent in 37 three-point attempts.
A NAIA program out of Grayson, Ky., Kentucky Christian saw D’Angelo Stoxstill produce team-highs of 16 points and six rebounds. Linwood Rowe (13 points) and Lemar Northington II (11 points) also scored in double digits for the Knights, who shot 25.7 percent (9-for-35) from three-point range and committed 21 turnovers.
Today’s game was part of the annual “Education Day” initiative as most of the 2,762 fans who were in attendance came from 13 local schools.
“This environment was unreal,” UT Martin head coach Jeremy Shulman said. “We talked about playing hard, unselfish, together and executing. I thought our guys really competed today. I love coaching these guys every day – for us to start off 2-0 is really special. This is who they are – they show this same joy and effort every day in practice and in the weight room. I’m glad everyone in our community got to witness that for the first time today.”
The Skyhawks scored the first 10 points of the game and made their first five tries from downtown. Hopkins knocked down three triples in the first 4:42 to get the high-scoring affair going. A three-pointer from Trnka at the 14:41 mark pushed UT Martin’s advantage out to 26-5.
A 12-0 Skyhawk run coming out of the under-12 minute media timeout expanded the Skyhawk lead out to 42-17. Grullon splashed a trio of three-pointers in a span of 3:32 before a Trnka second-chance layup gave UT Martin a 40-point edge at 64-24.
Žužić was responsible for a game-high 16 points while Grullon tacked on 11 points in the first 20 minutes as the Skyhawks built up a 64-28 advantage. UT Martin shot a scorching 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from three-point range in the opening half.
Another 12-0 Skyhawk surge took place early in the second half, capped off with back-to-back buckets from Niang. Three-pointers on back-to-back trips down the court from Grullon gave UT Martin its biggest lead of the day at 90-35 with just under 12 minutes remaining.
A dunk from Niang passed the century mark on the scoreboard for the Skyhawks with 4:31 left to play. The proficient performance from long distance was punctuated with the first career points from freshman Lucas Williams, who swished UT Martin’s 16th and final three-pointer of the day with 35 seconds to go.
The Skyhawks begin a six-game stretch at road or neutral sites next Monday, Nov. 11 when they head to North Alabama for a 6 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+.
