Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, December 12
Nashville, TN
12:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
vs
Auburn (MT 10)
MT to Roll Into Bridgestone Arena on Saturday
12/11/2015 10:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MT will host Auburn at noon
MURFREESBORO – The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team travel to Bridgestone Arena to play host to Auburn on Saturday at 12 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)
Hashtag: #TrueFamily, #BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_MBB
Instagram: @MT_MBB
Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Teams: Auburn (4-1) at Middle Tennessee (5-2)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Stadium: Bridgestone Arena (17,113)
TV: MT10
Radio: WMOT-FM (89.5), WGNS (1450 AM/100.5 FM/101.9 FM), Game 2 (102.5/94.9/95.1)
Play-by-Play: Chip Walters
Analysis: Kyle Turnham
Live Audio/Live Streaming | Live Stats
GAME NOTES:
Dialed in Defense
The MT defense has been stout over the last two games and is only allowing opponents to shoot 32.8 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from beyond the three-point line. The solid effort has vaulted MT to 36th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.1), 63rd in field goal percentage defense (39.2) and 78th in scoring defense (66.0 ppg).
Championship Pedigree
Since 2010, Middle Tennessee has been one of the best teams in their respective conference. In fact, the Blue Raiders have won four league championships in six years. MT went 13-5 in conference games during the 2009-10 season and were crowned champion of the Sun Belt. The Blue Raiders followed that feat with a 14-2 mark in 2011-12 and a 19-1 record in 2012-13 – their last in the SBC. MT transferred its success over to C-USA and won the league in its first year as a member.
Hail Harris
Darnell Harris has been on a tear as of late averaging 18.5 points over his last two games. The big-man set a new career-high with three blocks against VCU and then eclipsed that with four stuffs versus South Alabama. Harris is shooting 56.5 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from deep over the stretch.
Welcome Back
Saturday's game will mark the fourth time that Middle Tennessee has played in Bridgestone Arena (formerly the Sommet Center). The Blue Raiders fell to No. 2 ranked Memphis, 65-41, in 2007 and to No. 9 Tennessee, 75-54, in 2009. However, MT bounced back to win a, 56-52, thriller over Vanderbilt at the Nashville arena in 2012. Current grad assistant Kerry Hammonds had 11 points against Vandy.
Triple Doubles
Just last season, Middle Tennessee did not have a single player average over 10 points per game. Reggie Upshaw was close at 9.9, but this season MT has three players in double-figures in Giddy Potts (14.3), Darnell Harris (12.1) and Upshaw (10.9). Perrin Buford is next at 9.4 ppg.
Series History
MT will take on AU for only the fourth time in program history. The Tigers hold a 3-0 edge in the series and won last year's meeting in Auburn. This will be the first time that MT has hosted AU as the Blue Raiders have traveled to the Plains the last two meetings following the Tigers' win in Puerto Rico in 2004.
Great Alaskan Champs
On Nov. 26-28, MT traveled to the Great Alaska Shootout for a trio of games and came away with a championship. The three-game sweep was just the second regular-season tournament title of the 14-year Kermit Davis era. Following the game, Perrin Buford, Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
Going Streaking
The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team has made a three-pointer in 609 consecutive games. The streak spans over 19 seasons and the last time MT did not make a three was Jan. 14, 1995 against Murray State.
60 is the Magic Number
The Blue Raiders' hallmark the last few years has been their defense and have hung their hats on limiting opposing offenses. Because of their tenacity on that side of the floor, MT has not had to put up a ton of points in order to win games. In fact, Middle Tennessee's magic number has been 60. Over the last four-plus seasons, MT is 72-12 when scoring 60 or more points in a game.
Last Time Out
Behind stellar defensive play and a record-setting performance by Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee (5-2) grinded to its first win of the 2015-16 season inside the Murphy Center, 68-55, over Sun Belt foe South Alabama. Potts dropped 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a scorching 5-of-8 mark from three-point territory. He also added a career-high 14 rebounds, giving the sophomore guard his first-career double-double as a Blue Raider, and the first double-double for an MT guard since Marcos Knight in 2013 against FIU. On the defensive side of the ball, the Blue Raiders held South Alabama to 33.9 percent shooting (20-of-59) from the field, and 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from three-point range. It's the second-consecutive game that the Blue Raiders have held an opponent to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, as they held VCU to 31.7 percent on Dec. 2.
GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)
Hashtag: #TrueFamily, #BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_MBB
Instagram: @MT_MBB
Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Teams: Auburn (4-1) at Middle Tennessee (5-2)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Stadium: Bridgestone Arena (17,113)
TV: MT10
Radio: WMOT-FM (89.5), WGNS (1450 AM/100.5 FM/101.9 FM), Game 2 (102.5/94.9/95.1)
Play-by-Play: Chip Walters
Analysis: Kyle Turnham
Live Audio/Live Streaming | Live Stats
GAME NOTES:
Dialed in Defense
The MT defense has been stout over the last two games and is only allowing opponents to shoot 32.8 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from beyond the three-point line. The solid effort has vaulted MT to 36th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.1), 63rd in field goal percentage defense (39.2) and 78th in scoring defense (66.0 ppg).
Championship Pedigree
Since 2010, Middle Tennessee has been one of the best teams in their respective conference. In fact, the Blue Raiders have won four league championships in six years. MT went 13-5 in conference games during the 2009-10 season and were crowned champion of the Sun Belt. The Blue Raiders followed that feat with a 14-2 mark in 2011-12 and a 19-1 record in 2012-13 – their last in the SBC. MT transferred its success over to C-USA and won the league in its first year as a member.
Hail Harris
Darnell Harris has been on a tear as of late averaging 18.5 points over his last two games. The big-man set a new career-high with three blocks against VCU and then eclipsed that with four stuffs versus South Alabama. Harris is shooting 56.5 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from deep over the stretch.
Welcome Back
Saturday's game will mark the fourth time that Middle Tennessee has played in Bridgestone Arena (formerly the Sommet Center). The Blue Raiders fell to No. 2 ranked Memphis, 65-41, in 2007 and to No. 9 Tennessee, 75-54, in 2009. However, MT bounced back to win a, 56-52, thriller over Vanderbilt at the Nashville arena in 2012. Current grad assistant Kerry Hammonds had 11 points against Vandy.
Triple Doubles
Just last season, Middle Tennessee did not have a single player average over 10 points per game. Reggie Upshaw was close at 9.9, but this season MT has three players in double-figures in Giddy Potts (14.3), Darnell Harris (12.1) and Upshaw (10.9). Perrin Buford is next at 9.4 ppg.
Series History
MT will take on AU for only the fourth time in program history. The Tigers hold a 3-0 edge in the series and won last year's meeting in Auburn. This will be the first time that MT has hosted AU as the Blue Raiders have traveled to the Plains the last two meetings following the Tigers' win in Puerto Rico in 2004.
Great Alaskan Champs
On Nov. 26-28, MT traveled to the Great Alaska Shootout for a trio of games and came away with a championship. The three-game sweep was just the second regular-season tournament title of the 14-year Kermit Davis era. Following the game, Perrin Buford, Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
Going Streaking
The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team has made a three-pointer in 609 consecutive games. The streak spans over 19 seasons and the last time MT did not make a three was Jan. 14, 1995 against Murray State.
60 is the Magic Number
The Blue Raiders' hallmark the last few years has been their defense and have hung their hats on limiting opposing offenses. Because of their tenacity on that side of the floor, MT has not had to put up a ton of points in order to win games. In fact, Middle Tennessee's magic number has been 60. Over the last four-plus seasons, MT is 72-12 when scoring 60 or more points in a game.
Last Time Out
Behind stellar defensive play and a record-setting performance by Giddy Potts, Middle Tennessee (5-2) grinded to its first win of the 2015-16 season inside the Murphy Center, 68-55, over Sun Belt foe South Alabama. Potts dropped 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a scorching 5-of-8 mark from three-point territory. He also added a career-high 14 rebounds, giving the sophomore guard his first-career double-double as a Blue Raider, and the first double-double for an MT guard since Marcos Knight in 2013 against FIU. On the defensive side of the ball, the Blue Raiders held South Alabama to 33.9 percent shooting (20-of-59) from the field, and 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from three-point range. It's the second-consecutive game that the Blue Raiders have held an opponent to under 35 percent shooting from the floor, as they held VCU to 31.7 percent on Dec. 2.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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