Time to Dance: Tennessee-Martin, Ohio Valley

posted by Swish Appeal
Sunday, March 6, 2011 at 12:58pm EST

In keeping with SB Nation’s innovative use of social media in reshaping sports journalism, our vision is a women's basketball site that goes beyond merely providing game reports; instead, we want to capture the narratives that fuel our passion for the game, while maintaining the critical stance that helps us understand the game better.

Who? The Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin. Don't call them Hawks. And if they're women, don't call them Lady Skyhawks. They're all Skyhawks. Apparently this is a sore spot.

What? They're represented by a red-tailed hawk with the explicitly gender-neutral name of Captain. The Sky bit comes from the frontier nickname of "sky pilots" for traveling preachers and/or flight training during World War II.

Where? Martin, Tennessee. Their alumnae have had great success in women's basketball.

When? March 5th, in Nashville, Tennessee, the Music City.

Why? Because they won the Ohio Valley conference tournament.

How? Jasmine Newsome had 24 points, and UT-Martin had five players in double figures to overcome a 33-point performance from Tennessee Tech's Tacarra Hayes and come away with the 82-76 win.

Surprise? Yep. Tennessee Tech won the regular-season championship before Tennessee-Martin hit their stride.

Who's driving this thing, anyway? Kevin McMillan, since 2009. Spent many years in the high school ranks.

RPI: 136

SOS: 256

Record: 21-10 (14-4)

Best win: Indiana State (H)

Worst loss: Missouri (A)

Notable results: Colorado (L, A, 78-67); Vanderbilt (L, A, 72-60)

The phrase "young team" was designed for the Skyhawks. Some coaches aren't thrilled about playing freshmen- but when you've got ten of them on your team, you're left with few options. They're powered by the two-headed attack of freshman guards Heather Butler (19.1 points per game) and Jasmine Newsome (17.6 ppg). Freshman guard Jaclissa Haislip pulls down more than eight rebounds a game, and looks to be an all-around threat for the Skyhawks. If this talented class isn't tempted to transfer further up the status ladder, this team could be a threat for years to come.

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March Madness 2011

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Time to Dance: Tennessee-Martin, Ohio Valley

March Madness 2011

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