The UT Martin men's basketball team has fallen upon a rough patch to start conference play, but they look to get back on their feet tonight against in-state rival Austin Peay. Currently, on a 3-game losing streak, the Skyhawks are looking to play more disciplined basketball as they had four players foul out in their 76-70 loss to Tennessee Tech on Saturday; three of which were in double figures in scoring.
Tonight's matchup is the second time both teams have met this season. UT Martin was able to tallie a 65-62 win in Clarksville for the first time since 2017 on December 30th. In that game, KJ Simon was the leading scorer for the Hawks with 26 points and four blocks which was a game-high. Although UT Martin led in the first half by 13, Austin Peay was able to surge back in the second half, and the lead changed seven times before UT Martin escaped with a 3-point win.
In the loss to TTU, last Saturday, UT Martin got outrebounded 27-15 in the second half. The Skyhawks currently rank second to last in rebounding defense in the OVC but rank amongst the top-3 in the conference in both steals (7.5) and blocks (4.8) per game. If UT Martin can get things straightened out on the boards, then this defense could become one of the best in the OVC.
WUTM will be on the call with Davis Gregory and Blaine McDonald providing play-play coverage. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. CST.