MARTIN, Tenn. – A 24-0 UT Martin run in the first half put Little Rock in a hole it couldn't climb out of as the Trojans fall 84-61 to the Skyhwawks at the Elam Center Saturday afternoon.
Little Rock was led by 19 points off the bench from
Isaiah Palermo, who went 8-of-14 in 32 minutes off the bench, complemented by 10 points each from
CJ White and
Ethan Speaker as the trio combined for 39 of the Trojans' 61 points. White led the team with eight rebounds and six assists while Speaker snagged six boards.
DeAntoni Gordon added eight points and six rebounds while
Daniel Egbuniwe set new career highs with eight points and five rebounds in his return to Tennessee. But the duo of
D.J. Smith,
Myron Gardner and
Nigel John combined for just six points and seven rebounds while Smith dished out six assists.
Little Rock ended the game shooting 36.4%, including just 2-of-19 from beyond the arc (10.5%) while attempting just six free throw, making three. In contrast, UT Martin shot 46.2% from the floor and was 7-of-25 from three, making 17 of its 21 free throw attempts while outrebounding the Trojans 48-41.
The two teams exchanged baskets early, combining for three ties and five lead changes with the Trojans leading by as many as five on a pair of occasions. A quick pair of baskets game the Trojans the 16-15 lead at the 13:22 mark, but that is when the Skyhawks caught fire, reeling off 24-straight points to seize control at 39-16 with 6:32 remaining, taking a 46-22 lead into halftime.
From there, UT Martin kept the Trojans at bay as the closest Little Rock was able to get was to within 21 at 74-53 with 5:13 left in regulation, thanks to an 8-0 run. But there would be no dramatic second half comeback in Tennessee as UT Martin cruised to the 84-61 victory.
Little Rock now heads home for the final two games of the year at the Jack Stephens Center, both of which are key for the Trojan's bid to qualify for the OVC Tournament in Evansville. That starts Thursday when the Trojans host fellow OVC newcomer Southern Indiana at 7:30 p.m.
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