UT-Martin at Northwestern State, 7:30 PM Eastern, watchcollegeinsider.com
Televisions and computers today will be tuned in to watch college basketball today as the first 16 games of the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament take place. What the overwhelming majority of those watching today’s games may not realize is that there are actually 17 games on the college basketball schedule. And it is that one extra game, the 17th, that is the focus of today’s CIT Game of the Day. At 7:30 PM Eastern time this evening, the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks will be in Natchitoches, Louisiana to take on the Northwestern State Demons in the final game of the CIT First Round, with a date Saturday afternoon at South Carolina Upstate awaiting the winner.
The UT-Martin Skyhawks have won 18 games so far this season, a vast improvement over their eight win campaign in 2013-14. They received the #4 seed in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, falling in the quarterfinal round to Morehead State. This has been the Skyhawks’ best season since 2009, when they notched 22 victories (a mark they could at least tie if they reach the CIT finals). UT-Martin is led by Deville Smith, who notably scored 21 points in a hard fought 6 point loss at home to Murray State in the team’s regular season finale. Of course, the most notable win on UT-Martin’s resume came back on New Year’s Day, when they defeated one of our favorite non-Division I teams, Crowley’s Ridge, by a narrow 23 point margin.
Tonight’s opponent for the Skyhawks is the Southland Conference’s Northwestern State Demons. The Demons finished the regular season with a 19-12 record, falling in the Southland tournament semifinals to Stephen F. Austin. The majority of Northwestern State’s success this year came in conference, with only one win in non-conference play against Division I competition. The two players to keep an eye on tonight are Jalan West and Zikitern Woodley. With both West and Woodley back next season, the Demons may be a force to contend with in the conference race. For now, they will be a force for the UT-Martin Skyhawks to contend with as both teams battle to keep their seasons going for at least one more game.