EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Tarence Guinyard spearheaded UT Martin’s triumph over Tennessee Tech with an 18-point performance, as the Skyhawks clinched a narrow 70-67 win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament opener on Wednesday.
Ranked eighth, UT Martin is set to face fourth-seeded Little Rock in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
Guinyard contributed significantly to the Skyhawks (14-18) by adding six rebounds to his point tally. Supporting the victory, Matija Zuzic chipped in with 10 points, hitting 2 of his 7 shots from the floor. His performance was underscored by sinking 2 out of 5 attempts from beyond the arc and maintaining accuracy from the free-throw line, scoring 4 out of 5. Lamine Niang also provided depth to the team, adding eight points by converting 4 of his 5 field goal attempts.
On the side of the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles (15-17), Grant Slatten emerged as the leading scorer with 17 points. Teammate Jaylon Johnson added to the team’s efforts with 16 points, along with five assists and three steals. Rodney Johnson Jr. also made a notable contribution with nine points and nine rebounds, though it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in their favor.
