A tough non-conference schedule, including a game against nationally-ranked Vanderbilt, may be part of the reason that the Skyhawk women’s basketball team is struggling through its season.

The team is currently 5-11 with a 2-3 conference slate. The Skyhawks take a break for a few days and will return to action Saturday in a conference double-header against Morehead State.

Action is set to begin at 4 p.m. in the Elam Center.

Dec. 15, at Evansville UTM 72, Evansville 88

The University of Evansville shut out Tennessee-Martin for the first six minutes the women's basketball game and cruised to an 88-72 win over the visiting Skyhawks.

Evansville led at the half 46-30. In the second half, the Skyhawks played the Aces even. Both teams scored 42 points in the second half. Senior Amy Watson led the Skyhawks with 23 points, while Danielle Page tossed in 11 and Keva Robinson added 10 points. The Skyhawks shot 33 percent from the field in the game, but the biggest difference in the stats was in the rebounding column. Evansville outrebounded the Skyhawks 50-36.

Dec. 21, vs. UNC-Ashville UTM 85, UNC-Asheville 78 3OT

Senior LaShanta Morrow scored the go-ahead basket with 2:10 remaining in the third overtime period to help Tennessee-Martin’s women to an 85-78 victory over visiting North Carolina-Asheville Skyhawk Arena.

Freshman Keva Robinson, making her first start of the season, led the Skyhawks with a career-high 26 points in the school’s first triple overtime contest.

Torre Thomas finished the game with 14 points, while Amy Watson netted 13 to close out the double-digit scoring for the Skyhawks. The Skyhawks lost the battle on the boards 49-43, but won the turnover game as UNCA committed 24 turnovers to the Skyhawks’ 18.

Dec. 22, vs. Vanderbilt UTM 77, Vanderbilt 101

Vanderbilt University’s Commodore women defeated Tennessee Martin’s Skyhawks 101-77 in the Elam Center, but Skyhawk head coach Gary Van Atta said the mission was accomplished despite the setback.

Vanderbilt dominated the tempo and the game throughout the first half. Senior Ashley McElhiney, from nearby Gleason, netted 11 first-half points and dished out nine assists in the first half as Vandy claimed a 60-31 advantage at the intermission. En route to the superb first half, McElhiney set a new Vanderbilt career record for most assists. She entered the game needing only four to set the new mark. She finished the game with 13 assists and 15 points.

Senior Amy Watson led the Skyhawks with 20 rebounds and six rebounds. She also handed out five assists and made three steals.Sophomore Danielle Page stepped up as well. Page net 13 points and was five-of-six at the free throw line. Sophomore Jenny Lannom also tied her career-high of 11 points against the Commodores, while junior Tiffany Brundige scored 10 points. The Skyhawks committed one less turnover than the Commodores in the contest and shot 43 percent from the field and 57 percent from the charity stripe.

Lady Luck Classic Dec. 28, at Virginia Tech UTM 55, Va. Tech 87

Dec. 29 vs. Loyola UTM 57, Loyola 89

The University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawk women closed out 2002 with a pair of setbacks in the Virginia Tech Lady Luck Classic.

The two-day Lady Luck Classic was played on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. Va.

Virginia Tech used a 15-0 run to open the second half against the Skyhawks and never looked back en route to the victory. At one time in the contest the Hokies led by 36 points. Senior Amy Watson led the Skyhawks effort with 23 points.

She set a Lady Luck Classic record by hitting six three-pointers. Watson was eight-of-17 from the field and six-of-seven from three-point range. The Skyhawks shot 62.5 percent from the three-point arch in the game. Torre Thomas and Jenny Lannom also hit threes in the game, as did junior Tiffany Brundige who connected on both threes she attempted.

With six threes against Virginia Tech, Watson has made 22 three-pointers this season. She has 88 career threes and is now No. 7 on the Skyhawks career list for three-pointers made.

Loyola blistered the nets and led by as many as 41 points against the Skyhawks. The Greyhounds built a 23-point lead by halftime and shot 53 percent from the field in the contest.

UT Martin’s scoring effort was led by junior Tiffany Brundige from South Fulton with 14 points. Watson added 12 points to the Skyhawks’ tally.

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