UT Martin Skyhawks vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks: How to watch live stream, TV channel, NCAA Basketball start time

How to watch UT Martin vs. Western Illinois basketball game

By Scout Staff

Jan 11, 2024 at 9:31 pm ET • 2 min read

Halftime Report

Western Illinois is on the road but looking no worse for wear. Sitting on a score of 35-30, they have looked like the better team, but there's still one more half to play.

Western Illinois entered the contest having won seven straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it eight, or will UT Martin step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

Western Illinois Leathernecks @ UT Martin Skyhawks

Current Records: Western Illinois 10-6, UT Martin 9-7

How To Watch

When: Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Skyhawk Arena -- Martin, Tennessee
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)

What to Know

Western Illinois has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. The Western Illinois Leathernecks and the UT Martin Skyhawks will face off in an Ohio Valley battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Skyhawk Arena. UT Martin took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Western Illinois, who comes in off a win.

Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to post ten more assists than your opponent, a fact Western Illinois proved on Saturday. They walked away with a 68-57 win over the Lions. 68 seems to be a good number for Western Illinois as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of points in their previous game.

Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, UT Martin's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell 79-72 to the Panthers. The match was a 38-38 toss-up at halftime, but UT Martin was outscored by Eastern Illinois in the second.

UT Martin struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.

The Leathernecks have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-6 record this season. As for the Skyhawks, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-7.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Western Illinois have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 44.9 rebounds per game (they're ranked first in rebounds per game overall). However, it's not like UT Martin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 42.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Western Illinois is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. They might be worth a quick bet since they're sitting on a four game streak of covering the spread when playing as the underdogs on the road.