Men's Hoops to Close Regular Season at FIU

MIAMI, Fla. – After nailing down its fourth 20-win season in the last five years, Middle Tennessee will close out the regular season at FIU Saturday at 5:00 p.m. A win against the Panthers can lock the Blue Raiders in as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed at next week's Conference USA Tournament in Birmingham.

GAME INFORMATION
(Full Game Notes)

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Date: Saturday, March 5
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Teams: Middle Tennessee (20-9, 12-5 C-USA) vs. FIU (13-17, 7-10 C-USA)
Location: Miami, Fla.
Arena: FIU Arena (5,000)
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
TV: ASN
TV Talent: Jeff McCarragher (PxP) and Mack McCarthy (analysis)

Live Audio | Live Stats

GAME NOTES
Lockdown Defense
The Blue Raiders are constantly working on closing out on opposing ball handlers, but are struggling to force tough shots lately. MT's opponents average 43.1 percent from the field this season, but their last seven opponents have made 48.4 percent of their field goal attempts. The Raiders will need to get back to their gritty defensive ways to improve their chances of winning down the stretch.

Get to the Line
Middle Tennessee has shot just 584 free throws this year, an average of just 20.1 free throw attempts per game. MT's opponents have shot 682 free throws, an average of 23.5 free throws per game. Middle's opponents are also making an average of 3.7 more free throws per game. The Blue Raiders have attempted an average of 20.9 free throws per game in their wins compared to just 18.6 in their losses, including a total of just 10 attempts in the loss at LA Tech and 13 in the loss vs. UAB.

Downtown Raiders
MT has been deadly from beyond the 3-point line this season and are currently ranked 27th among D-I teams in 3-point percentage (38.7%). Sophomore guard Giddy Potts is currently second nationally in 3-point percentage, converting 49.3 percent of his attempts from deep, but will be sorely missed as he is out with a concussion. The team has even improved lately, shooting 40.3 percent from deep and making 8.8 threes per game in conference play compared to 36.4 percent and 7.3 threes per game in non-conference play.

Protecting the Rock
Middle Tennessee's offense strives on decision-making and taking good care of the basketball. As the season has gone on the Blue Raiders have constantly decreased their amount of turnovers. MT is averaging 12.0 turnovers on the season but have dropped that number to 10.9 in conference play and just 10.3 in their last eight contests.

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 (13.2), Giddy Potts (15.0), Darnell Harris (12.1) and Perrin Buford (11.6).

Upping His Game
Through 29 games, junior forward Reggie Upshaw leads the Blue Raiders in field goal percentage (51.2%), rebounds per game (8.6), defensive rpg (5.8), offensive rpg (2.8), assists per game (2.2) and steals per game (1.5) and ranks in the top eight in Conference USA in each of those categories except assists per game. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native is also second on the team in points per game (13.2). Through 17 conference games this season, Upshaw has increased his numbers in five of those seven categories over his non-conference statistics.

Buford's Best
Through his first 19 games as a Blue Raider, Perrin Buford was averaging just 5.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes per game. In his last 45 games stretched over two seasons, Buford is averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 26.5 minutes per contest.

Series History
The Blue Raiders conclude the regular season in Miami Saturday when they face FIU for the 35th time. Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series 26-8 and is 3-1 against the Panters since joining Conference USA. The Blue Raiders are 13-4 against FIU in Miami, but lost there last season by a score of 59-54. MT has currently won 11 of the last 13 while head coach Kermit Davis is 23-5 against the Panthers.

Last Time Out
An electrifying performance from senior Perrin Buford in a 76-59 win at FAU put the Raiders at the 20-win plateau on Thursday for the fourth time in the last five years.

Buford led the way for the Blue Raiders with his second career double-double, totaling 18 points and 11 rebounds while adding three assists.

Three other Raiders turned in double-digit performances on the night as Reggie Upshaw totaled 14 while JaQawn Raymond added 12 and Xavier Habersham tallied a career-high 11.

Middle Tennessee (20-9, 12-5) shot 47.0 percent from the field while holding Florida Atlantic (7-23, 5-12) to under 35 percent for the contest and under 30 percent in the second half.

The Blue Raiders also hammered FAU on the boards to the tune of a 46-28 rebounding edge while also leading points in the paint 42-26.

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Players Mentioned

Perrin Buford

Xavier Habersham

Darnell Harris

Giddy Potts

Reggie Upshaw

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics