By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MANHATTAN, Kansas – For the second time in as many games, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team used an impressive defensive effort to jump start its success while adding a strong offensive showing to generate a winning formula, knocking off North Carolina A&T on Day Two of the WNIT Preseason Classic by a score of 58-40.
The Skyhawks (1-1) picked up their first win of the season behind a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor. After holding Kansas State to just 44 points and limiting the WNIT pod host to a 32.1 percent field goal percentage in the opener, the Skyhawks upped the ante in the second game of the round-robin tournament. UT Martin held NC A&T to just 40 points in the contest while limiting the squad to a miniscule 30.2 field goal percentage and commanding the battle of the boards by nine.
On the offensive side of the ball, UT Martin turned up the tempo after playing at a predetermined snail’s pace in the opener to limit possessions. The Skyhawks found their shooting touch by making 48.9 percent of their attempts from the field while knocking down seven three-pointers. UT Martin did a nice job of utilizing the interior against an athletic squad by scoring 28 points in the paint while also distributing 17 assists on the team’s 23 made field goals.
Three players scored in double figures in the contest with the Skyhawks boasting two of them. Graduate transfer Holly Forbes posted a big day, scoring a career-high with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field while knocking down a pair of three-pointers. Junior Paige Pipkin joined her in double-figures with 13 points while leading the game with seven rebounds. Sophomore Seygan Robins also had a nice day with a full stat-line – tallying seven points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals – while Hayley Harrison also scored seven points.
North Carolina A&T (0-3) dropped its third straight contest to start the season after making it to the NCAA Tournament last year. Kiana Adderton ranked as the team’s lone scorer in double figures, tallying 14 points off the bench.
UT Martin jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead in a game which it never trailed. After a quick comeback attempt by the Aggies to cut into the deficit, the Skyhawks would hold a 12-10 lead after the first quarter.
The Skyhawks then found their separation in the second quarter. UT Martin shot 57.1 percent in the second – making four three-pointers in the period – while outscoring NC A&T by 11. The duo of Pipkin and Forbes played a big role in the push by combining to score 15 of the team’s 21 points during the 10-minute segment to take a 33-20 lead into halftime.
The lead fluctuated in the third quarter spanning anywhere from a 12-18 point margin. Forbes kept the ship steady for the Skyhawks by scoring six points – going 3-for-3 – in the quarter while true freshman Gabi Melby also joined the scoring column with her first collegiate bucket.
UT Martin put the game away for good in the fourth quarter by pushing the margin out to as high as 23 points midway through the period before turning the contest over to the reserves. While the Aggies tallied their best scoring quarter of the contest – tallying 13 points down the stretch – the game was never in doubt. Highlighting the fourth quarter was the play of freshman Shanice Simpson-Whiteley who scored four of her six points of the game during the final four minutes.
The Skyhawks will have a quick turnaround as they wrap up their stay in the WNIT Preseason Classic against Western Kentucky today. Tipoff from Bramlage Coliseum is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on YouTube.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information