Featured Photo: Junior guard/forward Andrija Bukumirovic (0) makes a slam dunk during the basketball game against Little Rock on Feb. 3, 2026, at the Elam Center in Martin Tenn. (Pacer Photo by Kaniya Anthony)
The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) leading UT Martin Skyhawks defeated the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles 76-54, before a 61-55 loss to the Morehead State Eagles.
UT Martin jumped in front of Southern Indiana and never gave up their lead. The Skyhawks entered halftime with a 12-point advantage, 38-26. UT Martin continued their dominance in the second half and expanded their lead to 30 points at one point in the game. UT Martin held off a late game comeback effort by Southern Indiana and won 76-54.
Redshirt freshman guard Pedro Santos finished the game as UT Martin’s leading scorer with 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Following the win, the Skyhawks hosted the Morehead State Eagles. Morehead State entered the game with an 8-5 OVC record and 12-12 record on the season.
Morehead State’s season has been a tale of two teams. Morehead State entered the contest with a respectable home record of 8-2, while failing to find ways to win on the road, going a measly 3-10.
UT Martin’s early shooting woes struck again. This time, the Skyhawks were not able to claw their way to a victory. UT Martin shot 26% (16-62) from the field and 15% (6-39) from beyond the arc. Despite the struggles, UT Martin’s defensive effort kept the game within reach.
UT Martin General Manager and Assistant Coach Jawaan Holmes said the team has relied on strong defensive efforts, especially when the shots are not going in.
“We’ve been a resilient bunch all year,” said Holmes. “We just have a bunch of tough guys. We hang our hats on the defensive side of the ball, so when even our shots aren’t falling, our defense is there to keep us in the game. We know down the stretch that the guys are going to come through in clutch situations”.
The Skyhawks’ defensive effort could only get them so far against Morehead State. The team could not find any momentum on the offensive end, and fell short to Morehead State, 61-55.
UT Martin Head Coach Jeremy Shulman took to social media following the loss with some words of affirmation for his team.
“We will bounce back — love this group of guys,” Shulman posted on his X account.
UT Martin gets their chance to get back in the win column as the team goes on the road to take on the Lindenwood Lions on Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
