Tennessee-Martin’s Jasmine Newsome hit the final two points of her 35-point night Saturday with two seconds to go in the game.

Her shot gave Tennessee-Martin the two-point lead it needed to clinch the victory against the Eastern women’s basketball team, 80-78. Eastern sophomore guard Ta’Kenya Nixon heaved a shot from half court, but missed as time expired.

Eastern head coach Brady Sallee said the Panthers were playing a man-to-man defense on that possession, but Newsome drove it and hit the shot.

“I don’t know if it’s Jasmine Awesome or Jasmine Newsome,” Sallee said. “She just dribble drove us and we had a hard time keeping her out of the paint.”

With the loss, the Panthers have lost three consecutive games and fell to 9-10 on the season, 5-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

But despite the close loss, the Panthers’ situation was much better earlier in the second half as they led by 15 points; however, they couldn’t hold onto the lead.

Sallee said he does not exactly know why, but the answer could be a combination of things.

“That’s the million dollar question,” Sallee said.

The now three-game skid could be a part of the reason why Eastern was unable to hold the lead, Sallee said.

“When you’re in a funk like we are, you have a tendency to hang on and hope to get (a win),” Sallee said.

Saturday, Sallee said that might have been the case, as the Skyhawks battled back from trailing 69-54 to only trailing by six points, 78-72.

The Skyhawks scored six consecutive points and tied the game with 17 seconds left on the clock, via Alecia Weatherly. Weatherly had 12 points in the game.

Sallee said the Panthers also missed on some lay-ups and free throws, which hurt the team’s chances of keeping the lead.

“In a tough game like that, it allows the other team to keep the momentum,” Sallee said.

The Panthers committed 18 turnovers. Sallee said when you combine turnovers with missing opportunities for lay-ups and free throws it allows for a comeback, which the Skyhawks did.

The Skyhawks’ second leading scorer was Heather Butler, who, despite scoring 20 points, Sallee said the Panthers did a good job on her.

With the loss, the Panthers fall to fourth place in the OVC, two games behind the Skyhawks. Also, the Panthers become one of eight teams in the OVC to have an overall losing record.

The Panthers’ next game will be against Tennessee Tech 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Lantz Arena.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944

or [email protected].