UTM head basketball coach Bret Campbell and the Skyhawks are glad to be home. The Skyhawks close out their 2003-04 campaign with four consecutive games in the Elam Center. First up is Murray State Tuesday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Skyhawks (8-16 overall and 3-9 in the OVC) dropped a 64-61 conference game to host Tennessee Tech Saturday in Cookeville. The loss was the fourth consecutive setback for the Skyhawks, and it was the fifteenth straight loss to Tech since the 1997-98 season.

Sophomore Jared Newson led the Skyhawks with his third double-double of the season. He had 25 points and 12 rebounds. Newson, a transfer from Forest Park Community College in St. Louis, hit 13 of 15 free throws in the game. He was the only Skyhawk to score double digits against Tech.

Tech had three players score double figures. Milone Clark led the way with 23 points, and Willie Jenkins recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

The Skyhawks trailed throughout the first half, but tied the game at 28-28 when junior Jeremy Kelly hit a jumper at the buzzer. Tech led by as many as 12 points in the first half.

In the second half the game was tied five times, and the lead switched hands five times. The Skyhawks enjoyed a 58-56 lead with 4:03 to go, but Tech used a 7-2 in the final two minutes to seal the win.

The Skyhawks committed 20 turnovers in the game and shot 36.7 percent from the field. Tech scored 26 points off the Skyhawk turnovers.

The Skyhawks are still trying to claim an OVC tournament berth and to do so they must finish among the top eight teams in the league. If the Skyhawks qualify for the tournament, they would play a first-round game on the road.