NCAA College Sports
Auburn vs. UT-Martin (NIT)
By Larry "L.A." Williams
Mar 19, 2009, 07:05 EST

NIT Tournament – 1st Round

Auburn “Tigers” vs. Tennessee-Martin “Skyhawks”
Auburn holds off UT-Martin

Hudson goes for 33 and 12
University of Auburn – Auburn, AL

DeWayne Reed scored 23 to lead Auburn to a 1st Rd NIT victory.

Auburn, AL – UT-Martin’s Lester Hudson scored a game high 33 points and hauled down 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as the Skyhawks came up short at Auburn in the 1st round of the NIT. DeWayne Reed and Quantez Robertson combined for 42 points to pace the Tigers.

A pair of former 4SHOT Hoops All-Stars Rasheem Barrett (Marist) and Korvotney Barber (Manchester H.S.) got the Auburn “Tigers” off to a good start, Barrett knocked down a three-pointer and Barber threw down a big dunk as the Tigers jumped out to an 11-4 lead.

UT-Martin would get a pair of baskets from Benzor Simmons and a three-pointer from Hudson to cut the lead to 19-15.

Auburn went on a min run midway through the half and at that point it appeared as if the Tigers were going to run UT-Martin out of the gym, opening up a 32-17 lead.

However over the last 8:00 minutes of the first half UT-Martin would outscore Auburn 19-14 to head into the locker room trailing by just eleven, 46-35.

The Skyhawks came out in the second half firing; Marquis Weddle and Hudson both nailed a pair of three-pointers to cut Auburns lead to 55-48.

Auburn would regain control of the game as Barrett knocked down a three and DeWayne Reed hit a pair of free-throws to push the lead back up to thirteen, 63-50.

The Tigers would maintain an 8 – 10 point margin through most of the remainder of the game.

UT-Martin did make a late run, cutting the lead to 77-72 with 1:34 left to play but baskets down the stretch by Reed and Robertson would help fend off the Skyhawks and propel the Tigers into the second round of the NIT.

The Final Score

Auburn 87 – UT-Martin 82

Box Score

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