Featured Photo: Freshman guard Pedro Santos (9) celebrates with his team after a big win against Little Rock on Feb. 3, 2026, at the Elam Center in Martin, Tennessee. (Pacer Photo by Kaniya Anthony)
The UT Martin Skyhawks split a two-game Ohio Valley Conference road-trip as their lead in the conference continues to shrink.
Following a loss to Morehead State at home, UT Martin went on a two-game road trip with the first matchup against the Lindenwood Lions in St. Charles, Missouri.
UT Martin jumped ahead of Lindenwood in the first half 44-39. The Skyhawks shot 66% (16/24) from the field and 62.5% (5/8) from beyond the arc in the first half, compared to Lindenwood’s 51.7% (15/29) from the field and 33% (3/9) from from behind the three point line.
UT Martin’s shooting woes plagued the team in games this season. After a stellar first half shooting the basketball, the shooting woes returned. The Skyhawks shot 37% (11/29) from the field and 26.7% (4/15) from three point territory.
Lindenwood outscored UT Martin 36-30 in the second half, and went on to win the game 75-74. This loss marked two in a row for UT Martin, which is their longest losing streak of the season so far.
UT Martin’s leading scorer was sophomore guard Filip Radakovich, who finished with 13 points on 55% (5/9) from the field.
UT Martin then traveled to Edwardsville, Illinois to take on the SIUE Cougars. The Skyhawks opened the game smoking hot from the field. UT Martin outscored SIUE 44-32 in the first half, shooting 58% (7-12) from beyond the arc.
However, UT Martin entered the second half off the mark. SIUE responded with a run of their own, taking the lead by as much as 22 points in the second half. UT Martin kicked back into gear and fought all the way back to regain their lead.
The Skyhawks held on to the lead and defeated SIUE, 81-76.
The leading scorer for UT Martin was standout junior guard Andrija Bukumirovic, who finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and one assist.
UT Martin Head Coach Jeremy Shulman took to social media following the win with words of affirmation for his team.
“I’m so pumped for our guys! What an amazing tough win,” Shulman posted on his X account.
With four games left in the regular season, every game is must-win for UT Martin. UT Martin holds a one game lead in the OVC over three teams who are tied for second place.
The Skyhawks return home to the Cathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin to host the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. The winner of this matchup holds the number one seed in the conference.
