COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Andrija Bukumirović scored 28 points to lead Tennessee-Martin to an 86-62 victory over Tennessee Tech in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Eblen Center. The Skyhawks, who led 32-31 at halftime, pulled away by outscoring the Golden Eagles 54-31 in the second half. Tennessee-Martin shot 53.4% from the field and forced 15 turnovers. Matas Deniusas added 16 points for the Skyhawks, who improved to 9-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Mekhi Cameron led Tennessee Tech with 19 points. The Golden Eagles shot 42.3% from the floor and fell to 6-7 overall, 0-1 in the OVC. Attendance was announced at 875.

ALGOOD, Tenn. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a decisive second-half surge, the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks delivered a commanding 86-62 victory over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Eblen Center. The contest, played before an announced crowd of 875, was a tale of two halves. The Skyhawks (9-4, 1-0 OVC) led by just a single point at halftime, 32-31, after a tightly contested opening period. The turning point came immediately after the break, as Tennessee-Martin unleashed a 23-5 run over the first seven minutes of the second half to seize control. The catalyst was a dominant offensive performance fueled by defensive pressure. Tennessee-Martin scored 54 points in the second half, shooting with remarkable efficiency. For the game, the Skyhawks shot 53.4% from the field (31 of 58) and 44.8% from three-point range (13 of 29). Their offensive execution was near flawless, posting an offensive rating of 134.0 points per 100 possessions. Conversely, Tennessee Tech (6-7, 0-1) struggled to find any offensive rhythm after halftime, scoring only 31 points in the second period to match its first-half output. The Golden Eagles shot 42.3% overall and committed 15 turnovers, which the opportunistic Skyhawks converted into 23 points. Tennessee Tech managed just three points off Tennessee-Martin’s seven giveaways. The most important sequence of the game began with Tennessee-Martin leading 34-31 early in the second half. Over the next four minutes, the Skyhawks ripped off a 14-2 run. The burst included a three-pointer and a dunk from Andrija Bukumirović, a three-pointer from Matas Deniusas, and was punctuated by active hands in the passing lanes that led to easy transition opportunities. This stretch effectively broke the game open, extending the lead to 48-33 and silencing the home crowd. Tennessee Tech never recovered, as the Skyhawks’ lead ballooned to as many as 28 points. Bukumirović, a 6-foot-7 junior from Sjenica, Serbia, led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting, adding four rebounds in 29 minutes. He was instrumental in the second-half onslaught, scoring 18 points after the break. Deniusas, a 6-foot-9 forward from Vilnius, Lithuania, provided crucial support with 16 points, four assists and three rebounds. For Tennessee Tech, Mekhi Cameron of Atlanta kept the Golden Eagles afloat in the first half and finished with a team-high 19 points. Ty Owens added eight points, but the Golden Eagles’ offense was consistently disrupted by the Skyhawks’ defensive intensity, which produced nine steals. Tennessee-Martin also won the battle in the paint, 32-20, and shared the ball effectively, tallying nine assists to Tennessee Tech’s five. Filip Radaković of Belgrade, Serbia, facilitated the offense with a game-high seven assists to go with seven points and five rebounds. The result defied pregame projections, as statistical models and betting lines had favored Tennessee Tech by a narrow margin. The combined score of 148 points also fell under the posted over/under total. The win gives Tennessee-Martin a positive start to conference play and improves its record to 9-4. The Skyhawks will host Western Illinois on Jan. 1. Tennessee Tech, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped, falls to 6-7 and will travel to face Arkansas-Little Rock on Jan. 1.

Preview: Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — A surging Tennessee-Martin team will look to continue its strong non-conference start when it visits in-state rival Tennessee Tech in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at the Eblen Center. The Skyhawks (8-3) enter the contest with momentum, having won five of their last six games. They are coming off a dominant 96-52 victory over Champion Christian on Dec. 14, where AJ Hopkins led the way with 21 points in 25 minutes. Hopkins, a player to watch for UT Martin, has shown scoring flashes, including a 21-point performance in his last outing. Tennessee Tech (5-6) seeks consistency after a split in its last two games. The Golden Eagles routed Bethel 101-69 on Dec. 13 but have struggled against high-major competition, with losses to Georgia and Kentucky in November. Brandon Muntu is a key offensive catalyst for Tech, coming off a 22-point, three-assist effort against Bethel. This matchup serves as a final tune-up before Ohio Valley Conference play begins for both schools in January. The Skyhawks have built their record with a solid home slate, while the Golden Eagles have played a challenging road schedule. Historically, games in this series are closely contested. The venue, the Eblen Center in Algood, provides Tennessee Tech with a notable home-court advantage. The outcome may hinge on which backcourt star finds a rhythm. If Hopkins maintains his recent scoring form, the Skyhawks’ balanced attack could prove difficult to stop. Conversely, Muntu’s ability to create for himself and others will be central to Tennessee Tech’s hopes of securing a quality win before the conference grind. Tipoff is set for Saturday afternoon. ###