UT Martin left behind by Tigers Posted: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 12:00 pm
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Morgan Eye had a career performance with 26 points and set a school record with eight 3-pointers as Missouri (6-2) pulled away for an 82-71 win over UT Martin on Monday night at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers had three players in double figures, including Bri Kulas, who added 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Missouri outscored UTM 35-8 in bench points and connected on 14 treys in the impressive 11-point win.
“I think Morgan Eye is going to want to come play us every other game,” UTM head coach Kevin McMillan said. “I told the girls at halftime that you would think that we hadn’t even watched her on film, because she just sat out there and shot it and shot it and shot it.”
Jasmine Newsome paced the Skyhawks with 24 points, hitting 11-of-22 field goals as UTM was 27-of-68 from the floor, including 11-of-28 on 3-pointers.
UTM opened the game’s scoring with a jumper, but Mizzou answered with a 7-0 run from Sydney Crafton, Kulas, and Liz Smith. The Skyhawks answered with a three to keep it close at 7-5, but the hot-shooting Tigers kept the visitors off balance all night.
The Skyhawks found their shooting touch after the first media timeout, making a pair of threes to trade points with Liene Priede. Sydney Crafton and Kyley Simmons also had buckets to keep the game tied before a run by the Tigers created separation.
Eye hit her second of eight treys during the run to build the Mizzou lead to four, but the Skyhawks stormed back with five straight points to take a one-point lead, 28-27.
Following another bucket by UT Martin, Eye connected on her third trey to even the game at 30-30 and Kulas put Mizzou on top again with two free throws. Four straight points gave the lead back to UT-Martin, but Lianna Doty’s three-pointer gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead.
Mizzou extended that advantage to 40-37 at the half, but the Skyhawks opened with four consecutive points to retake the lead, 41-40.
The game remained tied, 53-53, when Doty knocked home back-to-back hoops. Martin cut the lead to 57-56, but Simmons answered with a three of her own, her third of the game, to help the Tigers begin to pull away. Crafton then made a layup and Eye made two straight treys to push the lead to nine.
Kulas put the Tiger lead back into double digits with a layup and Eye then nailed a straightaway three to ice the game.
Heather Butler scored 16 points, and Megan White added 11 for UT Martin. Shelby Crawford led the Skyhawks with seven rebounds.
The Skyhawks are back in action Thursday, hosting Saint Louis to begin a four-game homestand. UT Martin will be at home against Purdue on Sunday.
UTM was the second of three Ohio Valley Conference opponents on the Tigers’ schedule. Mizzou defeated SEMO 80-51 on Thursday and will host Murray State on Dec. 20. Published in The WCP 12.4.12 | 
