Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
8-2
UT Martin
3-7
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Blue Raiders hold on for road win at UT Martin
12/11/2021 10:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MARTIN, Tenn. - UT Martin cut Middle Tennessee's lead to three points with three minutes to play Saturday, but the Blue Raiders came away with an 84-75 victory at the Elam Center. Eli Lawrence led the way with a season-high 21 points on seven of nine shooting from the floor, as MT won its first road game since February 22, 2020.
"It's nice to get one on the road," head coach Nick McDevitt said. "Obviously, we can handle some things a little better in the last two or three minutes so it doesn't get so hairy, but [we're] happy to get out of here with a win nonetheless."
After KK Curry's fast break layup made the score 74-71, MT locked down defensively. The home squad managed just four points the rest of the way, two of which came in garbage time.
Lawrence provided six of the Blue Raiders' 10 points in the final three minutes. He finished the game with three drawn charges, the third of which proved to be the fifth foul for Curry, who left with 18 points and six rebounds.
The Skyhawks led for most of the first six minutes of the game until Eli Lawrence's layup evened the score at 15 apiece at the 14:16 mark. After four back-and-forth minutes, a Tyler Millin three-pointer gave the Blue Raiders a lead they would retain the rest of the period.
MT shot 50 percent from the floor (14-for-28) and from long range (5-for-10) over the first 20 minutes of the game, taking a 43-39 lead into the locker room at halftime. Donovan Sims led the charge with 11 first-half points.
Sims and DeAndre Dishman finished the game with 15 points apiece. Sims and Lawrence led the Blue Raiders with seven rebounds each. Sims' five assists were a game high.
Game Notes
- The Blue Raiders snapped a 12-game losing streak in true road games dating back to the 2019-20 season.
- Sims has grabbed seven rebounds in three games this year and six or more in three straight games and four of his last six.
- Lawrence's 21 points were the second-most of his career.
- Lawrence becomes the third different player to score at least 20 points in a game for the Blue Raiders this year.
- Saturday's game was the first time in which three Middle Tennessee players scored at least 15 points and four players pulled down at least five rebounds
