MARTIN, Tenn. – Kevin McMillan, the fourth-year head women’s basketball coach at The University of Tennessee at Martin said he didn’t get any questions answered about his team Thursday night in its only exhibition game of the 2012-13 season against visiting Martin Methodist College from Pulaski.
However, McMillan and the Skyhawk staff did get some work done. The Skyhawks posted a 96-57 victory over Martin Methodist. Junior Heather Butler led all scorers with 20 points, while Cortrice Golden, also known as Big Baby, scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Junior Jasmine Newsome had 16 points and seven assists, while senior Rickiesha Bryant and freshman Ashley Bassett-Smith netted 10 points each.
“Everything was scripted,” McMillan said. “We got to see different combinations and everyone played the right number of minutes,” McMillan said.
UT Martin missed its first nine 3-pointers of the game, but managed to build a 40-35 advantage at the half.
It was all UT Martin in the second half. The Skyhawks outscored the Redhawks 56-22 in the half, despite shooting just 19 percent (6-for-32) from 3-point range.
“We have a lot of work to do by next week,” McMillan said. Big Baby included. “We have to get a more consistent effort from everyone on the team.”
Big Baby was 7-for-8 from the field; 4-for-6 from the free throw line. She also had one assist, three blocked shots and four steals.
The Skyhawks were 40-for-94 (43 percent) from the field and six of the seven newcomers who played accounted for 40 of the 96 points.
Martin Methodist was led by Kyra Knight who scored 10 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.
UT Martin will open the regular season Friday, Nov. 9 at Northwestern.