by LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team scored a season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter but could not overcome an early deficit in the Holiday Hoops Classic, falling to Bowling Green 67-52 in South Point Arena.
The Skyhawks (3-8) posted their best offensive quarter of the season, scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter by shooting 62.5 percent from the floor but it was the team’s offensive struggles through the first three periods which proved to be too much to surmount. Despite the impressive fourth, UT Martin shot just 37.7 percent from the field for the game – including a mark of just 27.0 percent through the first three quarters.
Bowling Green (5-4) found its shooting stroke out of the gates however by shooting 55.1 percent from the field while also knocking down 12 three-pointers on the evening. The Falcons saw 10 of their 11 players score in the contest with Kadie Hempfling scoring a game-high 20 points after knocking down five three-pointers. Madisen Parker also scored in double figures with 11 points off the bench.
UT Martin’s junior duo of Paige Pipkin and Kyannah Grant (Navajo/MBCI) led the team offensively for the second straight game. Pipkin scored a team-high 15 points while tallying five steals in the contest. Meanwhile, Grant tallied 14 points and five assists. Another player of note was freshman Ella Thompson who set career-highs with eight points, five rebounds and three steals in her first career start.
The Falcons got off to a quick start in the game, taking an 11-2 lead into the first media break of the game but the Skyhawks responded by holding their opponent scoreless over the final four minutes of the first quarter to trim the deficit down to four heading into the second. Then in the second quarter, BGSU opened the period on a 9-0 run. The two teams would later exchange buckets in the final few minutes before Bowling Green took a 24-15 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw Bowling Green string together another 8-0 run and outscore UT Martin 20-10 in the period. Facing a 19-point deficit heading into the final quarter, the Skyhawks went on a scoring spree by putting up 27 points in the period, but could only outscore the Falcons by four to cut into the deficit. When the final horn sounded, the Skyhawks suffered a 15-point defeat.
