By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations

MARTIN, Tenn. — Tennessee Tech saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Thursday night with a 64-49 Ohio Valley Conference loss at UT Martin inside the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.

The Golden Eagles (13-17, 8-11 OVC) battled through a tight first half and trailed by just one at the break, 23-22, but UT Martin used a dominant second-half surge to pull away. The Skyhawks (21-9, 13-6 OVC) outscored Tech 41-27 over the final 20 minutes to secure the season sweep.

Mekhi Cameron paced the Golden Eagles with 12 points, knocking down 7-of-7 free throws. Dani Pounds added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while JaJuan Nicholls chipped in eight points. Tech struggled from the field, finishing 11-for-44 overall (25.0 percent) and 5-for-23 from 3-point range.

Despite the shooting woes, Tech stayed within striking distance for much of the opening half. The Golden Eagles used an 8-0 run midway through the period and briefly grabbed a three-point advantage before settling for the one-point deficit at halftime.

UT Martin seized control early in the second half, pushing its lead to nine points at 43-34 with 10:56 to play. The Skyhawks continued to attack inside, outscoring Tech 36-12 in the paint and finishing with 38 bench points on the night. A 3-pointer by Afan Trnka stretched the margin to 22 points with 1:44 remaining, putting the game out of reach.

The Golden Eagles were solid at the free-throw line, converting 22 of 27 attempts (81.5 percent), but committed 16 turnovers and were unable to overcome UT Martin's 40.7 percent shooting clip, including 62.5 percent in the second half.

Tech slips into a three-way tie with Eastern Illinois and Little Rock for the last two spots in the OVC Tournament. 

NEXT UP
Tennessee Tech will look to bounce back in the final game of the regular season at SEMO on Saturday, Feb. 28, with the postseason on the line. The game is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. CT and can be watched live on ESPN+ and listened to on 106.1 The Eagle.