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Game Notes
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s women’s basketball team will play host to defending Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champion Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Fans can receive one free general admission ticket when they bring one canned food item for donation.
Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WEKY 1340 AM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com. A live video broadcast of the contest is available on OVCSports.TV.
The game features two of the top three teams in the OVC standings. The Lady Colonels are 9-8 overall and in third place in the league with a 5-2 mark. The second place Skyhawks are 9-8 on the season and 3-1 in conference games.
On paper, the game looks to be quite a battle. Tennessee-Martin leads the OVC in scoring (74.5 ppg) while EKU is second in scoring defense (61.4 ppg). UT Martin has the second best field goal percentage (40.5 percent) in the league while Eastern Kentucky has the best field goal percentage defense (35.3 percent). The Skyhawks lead the conference in three-point shooting (34.7 percent) while the Lady Colonels have the best three-point shooting defense (24.6 percent). UTM and EKU are ranked first and second respectively in free throw shooting. Eastern has a better rebounding margin, but UT Martin has a better turnover margin.
Eastern leads the all-time series 30-14, but Tennessee-Martin has won four straight. Eastern Kentucky hasn’t scored more than 57 points in the last six games against UTM. The Lady Colonels are 16-4 against the Skyhawks in Richmond.
In its last game,
Raechele Gray’s steal with two seconds left helped Eastern Kentucky hold off Austin Peay, 61-59, on Monday night.
Alex Jones finished with her 21st career double-double, posting 13 points and 15 rebounds. She moved into eighth place on EKU’s all-time career rebounds list. Sophomore
Marie Carpenter scored a game-best 22 points.
UT Martin is led by the sophomore guard duo of Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome. Butler averages 21.8 points (9th in the nation) and 4.2 rebounds per game while knocking down 46 three-pointers. Newsome averages 19.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. No other Skyhawk averages more than 8.8 points per game.
In addition to leading the OVC, UTM ranks 23rd in the nation in scoring. The Skyhawks registered 114 points in regulation at Tennessee State earlier this season. UTM ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 9.1 three-pointers per game.
Defensively, Tennessee-Martin’s opponents shoot 44.2 percent from the field (10th in OVC) and 35.2 percent from three-point range (11th in OVC). UTM has given up 70 or more points seven times this season. EKU opponents have scored 70 or more only twice, and one of those was in overtime.
Tennessee-Martin suffered its first OVC loss of the season on Monday, falling at OVC leader Eastern Illinois In the 70-63 loss, UTM hit 10-for-28 from behind the arc but made only 11-of-33 from inside the arc. Butler led the team with 22 points. Newsome added 12 points and seven rebounds.
