By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – KJ Simon posted a double-double Saturday afternoon for the University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball team but the Belmont Bruins were too much to handle as the Skyhawks fell 87-58 at the Curb Event Center.
Simon was responsible for 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, adding a pair of blocks for good measure. It marked the second double-double of the season for the junior guard out of Orlando, Fla. (also accomplishing that feat with 19 points and 12 rebounds at Western Illinois on Dec. 4).
KK Curry came away with 12 points and eight rebounds for UT Martin (7-15, 3-7 Ohio Valley Conference), aided by a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the charity stripe. Grant Hurst also provided valuable minutes for the Skyhawks, scoring a career-high nine points (on 4-for-5 shooting) along with a pair of steals in 18 minutes off the bench.
Belmont (17-5, 7-2 OVC) saw five players score in double figures, led by JaCobi Wood’s 18 points. Nick Muszynski (14), Ben Sheppard (12), Will Richard (12) and Tate Pierson (10) followed suit while Grayson Murphy tallied 13 assists and 11 rebounds.
“We ran into a buzzsaw at the end of the first half and Belmont created some separation,” UT Martin head coach Ryan Ridder said. “When you’re playing a team like that, your margin of error is so small – you have to make shots and have things go your way. It was good to see our freshmen come in and get some good work in – they play their tails off every day in practice. They’re going to be really good players for our program for a long time.”
Chris Nix scored the Skyhawks’ first four points of the contest – cracking the scoring column thanks to a hook shot and a putback following an offensive rebound. Shortly thereafter, UT Martin pieced together a 7-0 run, capped off by a David Didenko trifecta from the left corner that put the Skyhawks ahead by an 11-9 margin.
A strong take to the hoop by Koby Jeffries kept UT Martin on top with 14 minutes to go in the first half but the Bruins responded with a 14-2 run over a five-minute stretch.
Simon scored five straight Skyhawk points before another Didenko three-pointer pulled UT Martin within seven points (32-25) with five minutes remaining before the halftime break. However, Belmont closed out the half on a 15-2 run to take a 47-27 lead into the locker room.
Simon was already well on his way to a double-double at the intermission, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. Richard’s game-high 12 points lifted the Bruins in the first half.
The Skyhawks’ first bucket of the second half belonged to Jeffries, who buried a pull-up 12-foot jumper at the 18:37 mark. Curry scored six of UT Martin’s next eight points but Belmont soon went on a 16-4 run to take its biggest lead of the contest with 9:11 left to play.
Simon (seven points), Hurst (four) and Curry (two) each contributed to an ensuing 13-4 Skyhawk surge. However, the hole was too large to overcome for UT Martin down the stretch.
The Skyhawks return to the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center for their next two contests, beginning with a Thursday, Feb. 3 outing against OVC foe Southeast Missouri. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (following the completion of the women’s game).
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information