UT Martin plays Eastern Illinois, aims for 8th straight home win

Published Jan. 3, 2026 4:43 a.m. ET
Associated Press

Eastern Illinois Panthers (4-9, 1-2 OVC) at UT Martin Skyhawks (10-4, 2-1 OVC)

Martin, Tennessee; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Skyhawks -9.5; over/under is 134.5

BOTTOM LINE: UT Martin hosts Eastern Illinois looking to extend its seven-game home winning streak.

The Skyhawks are 6-0 in home games. UT Martin ranks second in the OVC with 26.1 defensive rebounds per game led by Andrija Bukumirovic averaging 5.3.

The Panthers are 1-2 in OVC play. Eastern Illinois gives up 74.2 points to opponents and has been outscored by 8.5 points per game.

UT Martin is shooting 44.0% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points lower than the 44.8% Eastern Illinois allows to opponents. Eastern Illinois averages 65.7 points per game, equal to what UT Martin allows.

The Skyhawks and Panthers face off Saturday for the first time in OVC play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bukumirovic averages 1.7 made 3-pointers per game for the Skyhawks, scoring 15.4 points while shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc. Matas Deniusas is averaging 13.9 points over the last 10 games.

Preston Turner is shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc with 1.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Panthers, while averaging 9.5 points. Meechie White is shooting 54.9% and averaging 11.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Skyhawks: 7-3, averaging 72.5 points, 39.4 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 42.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 64.3 points per game.

Panthers: 3-7, averaging 66.8 points, 28.5 rebounds, 13.4 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.3 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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