THURSDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 114, Kentucky Christian 61
@Tennessee Tech 89, Bryan College 74
@Lindenwood 98, UHSP 30
Bucknell 75,
@Southern Indiana 69 (OT)
UT MARTIN 114, KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 61
MARTIN, Tenn. - All 11 University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball players who saw time today scored as the Skyhawks swished 16 three-pointers while cruising to a 114-61 triumph over Kentucky Christian in the 2024-25 home opener.
Today’s result marks the fifth 2-0 start to a season since UT Martin joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992 as the Skyhawks also won their first two decisions in 2020-21, 2010-11, 2002-03 and 2000-01. The 16 treys were tied for the second-most in program history, trailing only the 17 trifectas sank against Bethel on Dec. 13, 2022.
Matija Žužic’s 21 points led all scorers as UT Martin placed six scorers in double figures. Josué Grullon tallied 19 points (thanks in large part to 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range) in 16 minutes off the bench while Tarence Guinyard had a phenomenal stat line of 15 points (on 6-for-9 shooting), seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in just 22 minutes. AJ Hopkins (12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point land), Afan Trnka (11 points, six assists, five steals) and Lamine Niang (10 points, two blocks in 14 minutes) additionally contributed big scoring days.
Stefano Faloppa (game-high nine rebounds in 18 minutes) and Carlos Cortijo (game-high seven assists in 21 minutes) also shined for the Skyhawks, who were a perfect 12-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc while shooting 57.3 percent (43-for-75) overall and 43.2 percent in 37 three-point attempts.
A NAIA program out of Grayson, Ky., Kentucky Christian saw D’Angelo Stoxstill produce team-highs of 16 points and six rebounds. Linwood Rowe (13 points) and Lemar Northington II (11 points) also scored in double digits for the Knights, who shot 25.7 percent (9-for-35) from three-point range and committed 21 turnovers.
Today’s game was part of the annual “Education Day” initiative as most of the 2,762 fans who were in attendance came from 13 local schools.
The Skyhawks scored the first 10 points of the game and made their first five tries from downtown. Hopkins knocked down three triples in the first 4:42 to get the high-scoring affair going. A three-pointer from Trnka at the 14:41 mark pushed UT Martin’s advantage out to 26-5.
A 12-0 Skyhawk run coming out of the under-12 minute media timeout expanded the Skyhawk lead out to 42-17. Grullon splashed a trio of three-pointers in a span of 3:32 before a Trnka second-chance layup gave UT Martin a 40-point edge at 64-24.
Žužic was responsible for a game-high 16 points while Grullon tacked on 11 points in the first 20 minutes as the Skyhawks built up a 64-28 advantage. UT Martin shot a scorching 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from three-point range in the opening half.
Another 12-0 Skyhawk surge took place early in the second half, capped off with back-to-back buckets from Niang. Three-pointers on back-to-back trips down the court from Grullon gave UT Martin its biggest lead of the day at 90-35 with just under 12 minutes remaining.
A dunk from Niang passed the century mark on the scoreboard for the Skyhawks with 4:31 left to play. The proficient performance from long distance was punctuated with the first career points from freshman Lucas Williams, who swished UT Martin’s 16th and final three-pointer of the day with 35 seconds to go.
TENNESSEE TECH 89, BRYAN COLLEGE 74
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - A big second half was enough to make up for a sluggish first, as the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team took home its 44th victory in 48 home openers at the Hooper Eblen Center with an 89-74 win over a pesky Bryan College squad Thursday evening.
On a night when the Golden Eagles (1-1) launched up 38 treys and sunk a solid 13 of them, it was an icy start to the contest on their home floor. The purple and gold missed its first six tries from distance and was, at one point, 1-for-9 from deep to open the game.
The visiting Lions took advantage of the Cookeville crew's cold stretch of scoring, pushing an early lead out to 11 points behind some incredibly hot shooting of their own. Never deterred, the Golden Eagles mounted a comeback, starting their push at the second media break.
By halftime, the Tech squad had a four-point lead, with the offense beginning to click with better ball movement and a hot shooting touch. Bryan College hung around in the second half, cutting a 13-point Golden Eagle lead to just four with a little under seven minutes to play.
Tech responded in kind, going to its pair of Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Players to Watch to get the job done. Junior Daniel Egbuniwe and senior Rodney Johnson Jr. each exploded for new career-high marks in the scoring column, lifting the purple and gold to a 15-point win.
The two Golden Eagle forwards combined for 49 points, led by Johnson Jr.'s impressive 27 on 12-for-17 shooting. Finishing 3-for-4 from distance, the veteran also hauled in three rebounds. Egbuniwe dropped a career-best 22 points while sinking 4-of-7 tries from beyond the arc, hauling in five boards, and dishing out five assists.
Newcomer Jaylon Johnson flirted with a double-double on the night, compiling 16 points with nine dimes, six rebounds, and two steals. Fellow newbie Ray Glasgow chipped in 10 points off the bench, mixing in three dimes, and four boards for good measure.
As a unit, the Tech crew sunk 14 of its 17 free-throw attempts and racked up 24 assists to just six turnovers. The Golden Eagles also rejected six shots in the contest, led by an impressive four from junior forward Ola Ajiboye.
LINDENWOOD 98, UHSP 30
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Lindenwood men's basketball (1-1, 0-0 OVC) picked up their first win of the 2024-25 season against UHSP (1-0, 0-0 AMC) by a final score of 98-30. The Lions held the Eutectics to 20.8% from the floor while Lindenwood shot 69.4%.
Lindenwood's field-goal percentage of 69.4% marked the highest by a Lions team in the NCAA era (post 2012-13). The previous record was held by the 2014-15 squad when the Lions shot 68.3% from the field. Lindenwood also made 43 baskets which was the most in a single game since the 2017-2018 season (45). All 12 Lions who played tonight scored.
Thursday night saw five Lindenwood players enter double-figures including a game-high 14 from freshman Jadis Jones. Jones has now started his career with back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts (10 points at Oklahoma). He shot a perfect 7-7 from the field while grabbing five rebounds and two steals.
Jaylon McDaniel and Nathan Johnson Jr. both added 13 points each including a perfect 5-5 from McDaniel. Anias Futrell also added another 12 points and four rebounds while Markeith Browning II added 11 points and three steals. The last time the Lions had five double-digit scorers was last season at UT Martin (2/22/24).
Lindenwood was active on defense holding UHSP to just 11 made shots. The Lions out-rebounded the Eutectics 39-25 and caused 26 turnovers and 19 steals. Their 19 steals were also the most by a team in the Division I era and most since 2017-18 (20). Nine different Lions had a steal including four from Colin Ruffin.
Ruffin was all over the floor on Thursday night inside Hyland Arena tailing eight points, six assists, four steals and three rebounds. As a unit, the Lions had 23 assists which marked their most since 2022-23 when LU had 26 vs. East-West University at home.
Lindenwood scored 48 points off turnovers compared to just seven by UHSP. The Lions were dominant in the paint scoring 72 of their 98 points down low. Defense turned into offense tonight as Lindenwood scored 35 points on the fast-break.
The first half saw Lindenwood jump out to a comfortable 17-6 lead after the Lions started the game shooting 7-10 from the field. McDaniel scored an early six points down low. Lindenwood scored 12 of their first 17 points in the paint.
Jones became the first Lion into double-figures with 6:29 remaining in the first half. Lindenwood led by 20 under the seven minute mark. During the first half, the Lions shot 68.8% from the floor while holding UHSP to 27.6%. UHSP ran their offense through the three-point line, but LU limited their chances as they shot 4-16 from deep.
Coming out of the break, Lindenwood jumped out to a 10-1 run while shooting a perfect 4-4 from the floor. McDaniel picked up where he left off in the first half scoring two quick buckets to get him to 13 points on the night. UHSP was held to an 0-5 shooting to start the second period.
Lindenwood forced 13 turnovers in both halves. The Lions took care of business limiting UHSP to 12.5% shooting in the second half with just three made field-goals. It marked the lowest point total allowed in a half in Lindenwood history (NCAA era).
BUCKNELL 75, SOUTHERN INDIANA 69
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball lost a second-straight heartbreaker in overtime, falling to Bucknell University in the 2024-25 home opener, 75-69, Thursday evening in Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles start the year 0-2, while Bucknell begins 2024-25, 2-0.
The Eagles have played in back-to-back overtime games for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season when they played in three straight. The third in the series was a triple-overtime contest in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.
USI busted out of the gate with an 8-2 lead behind four points each from junior guard Jayland Randall and sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi to start the game. Bucknell rebounded to tie the game, 8-8, before the Eagles produced another set of five-point leads at 13-5 and 16-11.
After trading buckets and USI going up 22-19, the Bison went on a 7-0 spurt to grab the lead and went into the break with a 30-27 advantage.
Randall and junior guard Damoni Harrison led the Eagles in the first half with seven points each. USI was a better team from the field, hitting 42.3 percent from outside (11-26), but trailed in rebounding, 21-13.
The second half began with Bucknell increasing the margin to eight points, 35-27, before USI kicked the offense into gear and began to chip away at the deficit. The Eagles took the lead back, 39-37, with 16:31 to play with a 12-2 explosion that was led by five points each by Randall and Harrison.
The advantage would bounce back and forth (five lead changes and two ties) for the next six minutes when USI went up by six, 56-50, on a bucket by graduate forward Jack Mielke. The Eagles nursed the margin to the final minute when the Bison rallied to send the contest into overtime tied at 63-63.
In overtime, USI was never able to get out in front of Bucknell as the Bison outscored the Eagles, 12-6, to put a stamp on the 75-69 final. The Eagles were two-of-eight from the field in the extra five minutes, while the Bison were three-of-four from the field and six-of-eight from the stripe.
Individually for the Eagles, Randall led four players in double-digits with 17 points. The junior guard was seven-of-17 from the field, including three three-point field goals.
Harrison followed with 15 points, while Olowoniyi and junior guard Sam Kodi rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points each. Olowoniyi was an efficient five-of-eight from the field and two-of-two from the line before fouling out in the final minute of regulation.