CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Rob Martin scored 17 points and Southeast Missouri (8-21, 3-13) was within two points twice in the final eight minutes of the game, but UT Martin (19-10, 12-4) secured a 82-72 win Saturday.
 
SEMO came out hot in the second half making eight of its first 16 field goals chipping away at what was once a 16-point deficit. 
 
Down, 58-48, with 11:13 left to play, the Redhawks scored six-straight points to get within four. Josh Earley made a jumper, Marqueas Bell split two free throws and Martin then knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a 58-54 contest with nine minutes on the clock.
 
Martin scored again and Braxton Stacker rebounded his own miss and scored to close the Skyhawks lead to 60-58 at the 7:43 mark.
 
SEMO got within two again when David Idada scored a second-chance layup to trim UTM's margin to 62-60.
 
After that, the Skyhawks scored five points to get ahead, 67-60, with two free throws by Jordan Sears and a 3-pointer by Sebastian Mendoza.
 
Following two missed free throws by Bell, Mendoza was fouled and made two free throws to give UTM another seven-point advantage. 
 
A 3-pointer by Koby Jeffries extended the Skyhawks lead to 72-64 with 3:23 left.
 
Martin converted a 3-point play to close UTM's lead to 74-70, but that was as close as the Redhawks would get the rest of the way.
 
UTM countered by scoring eight of the last 10 points to hold off SEMO with six of those coming from Spears at the free throw line.
 
Tied, 9-9, UTM went on an 11-0 run to open a double-digit lead. SEMO went scoreless for over three minutes Issa Muhammad accounted for seven points during that stretch and made a 3-pointer to give the Skyhawks a 20-9 lead with 10:37 remaining in the first half.
 
The Redhawks pulled within six twice when Rob Martin made a 3-pointer (20-14) and drove in for a layup (22-16).
 
Jacob Crews, who scored 17 first-half points, sent UTM into the intermission with a 40-30 advantage on his turnaround jumper.
 
Martin shot 6-of-13 from the field, made two 3-pointers and sunk 3-of-3 free throw to pace the Redhawks. Evan Eursher added 15 points and Stacker chipped in 11. Earley finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
 
Crews scored a game-high 31 points to lead three players in double figures for UTM. Sears, who went 14-of-16 at the free throw line, followed with 22 points and Muhammad turned in 17.
 
The Skyhawks outscored the Redhawks, 30-13, at the charity stripe en route to completing their two-game sweep of SEMO.
 
SEMO is still alive for a spot in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Redhawks must win their final two games and both Tennessee Tech and Southern Indiana must lose their last two contests. If that happens, there will be a three-way tie for eighth and SEMO would win the tiebreaker.
 
The Redhawks head to Morehead State (Feb. 29) and Southern Indiana (Mar. 2) for their last games of the 2023-24 regular-season.