By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team (9-16, 5-5) lost to in-state rival UT Martin (16-9, 6-4) in Ohio Valley Conference action Wednesday evening, falling to the Skyhawks in the Hooper Eblen Center, 75-46.
The contest came down to one thing, simply: shooting. UT Martin torched the nets in the first house, sinking 60 percent of its attempts from the floor on its way to 44 first-half points. On the flip side, the Golden Eagles struggled to tickle the twine over the first 20 minutes, connecting on just 28.1 percent of its attempts from the field for 22 points.
The second half saw some adjustments, with Tech's and UT Martin's percentages trending in opposite directions, but the Skyhawks still found enough of a touch while the Golden Eagles still fought some struggles. UT Martin hit 42.9 percent in the second half compared to Tech's 34.5 percent, outscoring the Golden Eagles 31-24.
The Golden Eagles forced a whopping 18 Skyhawk turnovers in the contest, providing plenty of pressure to keep the team close on a normal shooting night. Tech also made just 10 turnovers of its own.
Kajon Mack led the Golden Eagles with 12 points on the night, finishing 5-for-11 from the field while grabbing four rebounds, dishing out two assists and grabbing two steals.
Javier Martinez led the Skyhawks with 22 points and 21 rebounds in 38 minutes while Jacolby Mobley added 15 points.
The Golden Eagles will hit the road for a trip north to Eastern Illinois Saturday, taking on the OVC foe at 3:15 p.m. CT in Charleston, Ill.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
