APSU Men’s Basketball (7-15, 3-5 Ohio Valley Conference) shot 49 percent from the field in their 85-79 loss to The University of Tennessee at Martin (15-8, 5-3 OVC). Leading the charge for the visiting Skyhawks was Jacolby Mobley with 36 points. Josh Robinson finished the night with 21 points for the Govs.
John Murry opened up the scoring when his jumper hit for a 2-0 lead. One minute later, Mobley hit his first shot of the game, and APSU never saw the lead again.
Throughout the following minutes Mobley, Javier Martinez and Kahari Beaufort combined for 18 points, putting UTM ahead 20-7 at the 13:15 mark. The teams started to trade blows for the remaining minutes of the first half, with the Govs trailing 51-37 at halftime.
Robinson, a two-time OVC Player of the Week, had 4 points at halftime while Kenny Jones and Chris Porter-Bunton combined for 17 points. Mobley had 27 points in the first half for the Skyhawks while Martinez had 10.
APSU was only shooting 42.3 percent in the first half, while UTM had 56.7 percent accompanied by six 3-pointers.
The Govs improved in the second half, shooting 56 percent as tempers started to flare in frustration.
“We just kept talking to each other, saying stay focused,” Robinson said. “We just ran out of time”.
As APSU’s scoring heated up UTM’s slowed down as Mobley left the game with an injury.
“I thought Tre’ Ivory did a decent job, but we did not have a guy that could really guard Mobley,” Head Coach Dave Loos said. “You got to tip your hat, and say nice job.”
The night ended with APSU being out-rebounded 35-24, with Robinson and Murry having five each.
“That won’t work, we have to do better then that,” Loos said. “It’s a matter of personal pride, energy, passion and saying ‘I’m gonna go after the ball tonight.'”
The Govs battled themselves back into the game in its late stages, even coming within 4 points of UTM with 1:52 left in the game. UTM converted two late free throws to secure the road win. The loss is APSU’s third straight home loss to the Skyhawks, a first in school history.
APSU will play against Southeast Missouri at 8 p.m. in the Dunn Center on Saturday, Jan. 28.
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Henry Kilpatrick | Photo Editor
