MARTIN, Tenn. – In a game that saw 50 minutes of total action and 33 lead changes or ties, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team emerged victorious, topping Western Illinois, 86-78, in double overtime Thursday at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin. The win was also a milestone for head coach Kevin McMillan, as it went down as his 300th career victory.
The Skyhawks got out ahead early in the contest, leading by as many as 10 points with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter. However, from that point Western Illinois outscored UT Martin, 17-4, and took a three-point lead into the locker room at the break, 33-30.
With 52 seconds left in regulation, Sidni Middleton sank two free throws to put her team up by five with less than a minute to play. However, Addi Brownfield hit her own pair of free throws with 43 seconds to play and a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to tie the game at 66. Kenley McCarn had a look at a game-winner, but it didn’t fall, and the game went overtime.
In the first overtime, the score went back and forth with four lead changes and four ties over the five-minute period. The OVC’s leading scorer and rebounder Mia Nicastro put the Leathernecks on top with a jumper with 43 seconds to play at 74-72. On the next trip down the floor, Middleton hit a pull-up jumper in the paint to tie the game at 74 with 32 seconds to go. Western Illinois had a shot at the win with five seconds to go, but it did not fall, and the game went into a second overtime.
In the second overtime, the Skyhawks held the Leathernecks to no field goals in the final 3:45 and made each of their final five field goal attempts, while Western Illinois missed each of their last five. UT Martin outscored the Leathernecks, 12-4, over the final five minutes of play to pick up the win and hand Western Illinois just its second loss of the season.
Middleton tied her career-high in points in the game with 25 and was just one rebound away from a double-double with a career-best nine boards. The game marked the third consecutive game in which Middleton has scored 20 or more points, as she is averaging 23.3 points per game in OVC play. McCarn added 20 points and seven rebounds to the cause, while Zy Thompson recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Skyhawks return to the Elam Center Saturday to take on Eastern Illinois at 1 p.m. Air time is 12:30 on Talk and News You Can Use on WCMT 1410 & 100.5, 92.7, 96.1, 99.7, 100.5 & 103.3.
