Featured Photo: Redshirt junior guard Kenley McCarn(44) Pulls up from beyond the perimeter against the Lindenwood lions on Thursday Feb, 12, 2026, at the Hyland Arena in Saint Charles, Missouri (Photo Credit / UTM Athletics)
After an 11-3 run to begin the game, The UT Martin Skyhawks women’s basketball team fell just short to Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) rival the Lindenwood Lions.
In the first quarter, the Skyhawks would start hot and score eight points before the Lions could get on the board. The Skyhawks continued this run, outscoring the Lions 17-9 after an efficient defensive pressure and early ball movement.
The second quarter was where the Skyhawks began to struggle. The Skyhawks failed to create good scoring opportunities and were outscored 20-11. The score at half was 29-28 in the favor of the Lions.
To start the third, the Skyhawks struggles continued. UT Martin shot their worst of the night at 2-of-15 from the field, and 0-of-6 from the perimeter. Also the Skyhawks were outscored 13-5.
In the fourth, despite an attempted comeback, the Skyhawks’ 16 points and 10 trips to the free throw line were not enough as the Lions held on to win 54-49.
Although the Skyhawks out rebounded the Lions 38-32, the turnovers were a key factor in the loss. The Skyhawks turned the ball over 16 times compared to the Lions 14.
Despite the loss, UT Martin’s defense kept the contest within reach, limiting Lindenwood to 54 points in a physical conference matchup. The Skyhawks look to find more consistent offensive production as conference play continues.
“As i’ve gotten older, you start to see how little plays are important, but at the same time one missed shot or one loss doesn’t define who you are or who we are,” said junior guard Kenley McCarn.
The leading scorer for the Skyhawks was sophomore forward Zy Thompson with 21 points and five rebounds. Behind Thompson was McCarn with 12 points and a team high eight rebounds
Next up for the Skyhawks is the, OVC eight seed, SIUE Cougars on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2026, for student-athlete honors night at the Sam M. Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. The last time these teams meet the Skyhawks walked away with a 64-55 win. McCarn had 15 points, nine rebounds and five steals all while shooting 50% in their previous matchup.
The leading scorer for the Skyhawks is McCarn who averages 15.9 points per game(ppg). Thompson follows behind McCarn with 11.1 ppg. Thompson leads the team in rebounds with 5.8 per game, with McCarn close behind with 5.3 per game.
