By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Another strong defensive effort by the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team led the squad to its fourth straight victory after holding visiting Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State to under 30 percent from the field and 29 turnovers in a 54-36 victory on Wednesday evening.
The game saw the margin fluctuate six times and become tied on four occasions in the first half before the Skyhawks (11-15, 8-7 OVC) took a lead into halftime and later used an 11-point run in the third quarter to position themselves for victory. UT Martin’s defensive effort played a big role in the contest as the team forced 29 turnovers for the second time this season while holding Morehead State under 40 points – marking the fewest points by an opponent this season and the ninth sub-40-point game in program history.
UT Martin tallied 16 steals on the day while holding Morehead State to a 29.5 shooting clip from the floor and 21.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles also failed to reach double figures as a team in three of four quarters with their largest scoring total coming in the third with 11 points. The Skyhawks cashed in on the offensive end off the back of their defense by scoring 20 points off turnovers and 22 points in the paint.
Reigning OVC Freshman of the Week Shae Littleford picked up where she left off by scoring a career-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor while knocking down 4-of-5 three-point attempts. Paige Pipkin ranked as the team’s other top scorer with 10 points and six rebounds while tallying four steals. Four other players chipped in four points each for the Skyhawks while freshman Shanice Simpson-Whiteley tallied seven rebounds and three blocks.
Morehead State (1-24, 0-15 OVC) saw its losing streak stretch to 22 games as the team failed to boast a double-figure scorer. Jada Claude tallied eight points and nine rebounds to lead the Eagles while Tyler Moore also scored a team-high eight points off the bench.
UT Martin will wrap up its home slate with Senior Day and Basketball Alumni Day on Saturday, Feb. 19 against Murray State. Tipoff from the Elam Center is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information