SATURDAY'S SCORES
South Dakota 80,
@UT Martin 74 (OT)
@Evansville 70,
Lindenwood 68
SOUTH DAKOTA 80, UT MARTIN 74 (OT)
MARTIN, Tenn. - In a battle of nationally relevant mid-major programs, the University of Tennessee at Martin women's basketball team came up just short of knocking off visiting South Dakota, falling 80-74 in overtime on Saturday afternoon.
In a back-and-forth affair inside the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center which featured 11 scoring ties and 10 lead changes, it was the Coyotes who left Pat Summitt Court with a gutsy overtime victory. South Dakota held a lead as large as nine points in the first half and led at the end of every quarter, but UT Martin stayed within fighting distance until taking a lead of its own in the fourth quarter.
The Skyhawks (2-8) used a big run in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter and forced seven turnovers in the final period to push their advantage out to as large as seven points with just under four minutes to play. The Coyotes found some big three-pointers down the stretch however to ultimately tie the contest with five seconds to play and force overtime.
During the overtime period, South Dakota knocked down 50 percent of its shot attempts while UT Martin went cold from the floor – converting just 1-of-5 field goal attempts – ultimately providing the difference in the game.
UT Martin was led offensively by redshirt-freshman Kenley McCarn who equaled her career-high with 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting – while knocking down five three-pointers – in addition to her six rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Anaya Brown posted her second double-double against the Coyotes in as many chances after tallying 13 points and 10 rebounds on the day. Rounding out the team's top scorers was another career-matching performance from freshman Norah Clark who tossed in 15 points off the bench.
EVANSVILLE 70, LINDENWOOD 68
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team (2-7, 0-0 OVC) dropped a heartbreaker to Evansville (2-7, 0-0 MVC), 70-68 on Saturday in Evansville, Ind.
Lindenwood led 13-9 at the first media timeout behind a pair of three pointers from Ellie Brueggemann. The Lions forced six turnovers in the first quarter and got some second chance opportunities, pulling down three offensive rebounds. As a team, Lindenwood shot 53 percent from the field in the opening quarter and held a 21-17 lead after one.
It was a slow shooting start for both teams to begin the second quarter as Evansville regained a 25-23 lead at the midway point. Over the next 5:07, Lindenwood went on a 14-2 run to close out the half, which helped them extend its lead. The spurt was fueled by six points from Justis Odom who had a team-high nine after two quarters. In the half, Lindenwood got 15 points from its bench, including seven from Reagan Rapert who was a perfect 2-2 from the field and the line.
Lindenwood maintained a comfortable lead throughout the third quarter. Holding a 44-39 advantage with 5:45 remaining in the period, the Lions went on an 8-0 run, capped off by a layup from Odom. The run pushed the lead to Lindenwood's largest at 52-39. The Lions kept their foot on the gas pedal and would lead 61-45 after three quarters.
Evansville opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 61-52. The Purple Aces would continue to chip away at the deficit and take the lead at 68-67 with just over two minutes to go in the game. Evansville closed out the game and picked up the 70-68 win.