Men's Hoops Eyes C-USA Sweep

MURFREESBORO – The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team will go for a Texas-sized C-USA sweep when the squad hosts UTSA on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 3 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

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Date: Saturday, Jan. 9
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Teams: Middle Tennessee (9-5) vs UTSA (3-13)
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Stadium: The Murphy Center (11,520)
TV: American Sports Network
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:
He's Baaack!
Giddy Potts played against UTEP on Thursday after sitting out the previous four contests due to an academic issue. The team was happy to see him back as MT averaged 4.3 fewer points per game and the Blue Raider guards were scoring 24.5 points per game, down from 36.4 with Potts in the lineup. Most importantly however, MT was 1-3 without Potts and 8-2 when he does play.

Going to the Glass
Head Coach Kermit Davis has stayed true to his roots and his players are embracing his rebounding-first mantra. The Blue Raiders currently average 28.5 defensive rebounds per game, a mark that ranks them 36th among Div. I teams and 2nd in C-USA. Reggie Upshaw has been leading the way in the category and his 5.6 per game are pacing the team. Oddly enough, MT ranks 282nd in offensive rebounds per game, averaging only 9.5 per game.

Downtown raiders
MT has been deadly from beyond the three-point line this season and are currently ranked 79th among D-I teams in three-point percentage (37.0). Guard Giddy Potts would be ranked 19th with a .462 mark from deep if he had played in 75 percent of the team's games this season. The team has been even better lately, and is shooting 40 percent since starting league-play.

Upping His Game
Reggie Upshaw has been playing extremely well lately and has had five straight games with over 10 points. The forward is averaging 19.2 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 67.3 percent over the stretch. He has been even better in his last three games, averaging a team-best 21.7 points per game.

Fantastic Four
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 four players in double-figures in Upshaw (14.2),Giddy Potts (14.0), Darnell Harris (13.2) and Perrin Buford (10.2 ppg).

Series History
On Saturday, the Middle Tennessee men's basketball team hosts UTSA for only the third meeting between the schools all-time. The series is tied at one game apiece as both schools have won on their home courts. MT handedly took the first meeting in 2014, 80-58, but the Roadrunners bounced back to win the next installment by double-digits, 69-58, last year. In that game, Darnell Harris (15), Perrin Buford (15) and Reggie Upshaw (11) all scored in double-figures, but MT shot just 18.2 percent from the field in the second half and squandered a seven-point halftime lead.

Burford's Best
Through his first 22 games as a Blue Raider, Perrin Buford was averaging just 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 13.6 minutes per game. In his last 28 games stretched over two seasons, Buford is averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 25.3 minutes per contest.

Murphy Madness
Middle Tennessee has been one of the best home teams in the country over the last five seasons and holds a 61-9 record in the Murphy Center. That mark includes a perfect 16-0 mark in 2012-13.

Last Time Out
Two clutch free throws down the stretch by Perrin Buford sealed a, 78-72, victory Thursday night, handing UTEP their first conference loss of the season. Darnell Harris led the Raiders with a season-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Reggie Upshaw tallied his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Buford added 15 points and eight boards. Middle Tennessee (9-5, 1-1) shot 42.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three-point range on the night. The Raiders outrebounded UTEP (10-6, 2-1) 44-39 with 17 rebounds coming on the offensive glass. Hot shooting put the lead in the hands of the Blue Raiders for the entire first half, going 7-of-13 from beyond the arc before the break. Buford, Harris and Simpson hit two three-pointers each in the first 20 minutes.

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Players Mentioned

Perrin Buford

Darnell Harris

Giddy Potts

Reggie Upshaw

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics