Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, January 6
Murfreesboro, TN
6 PM
Middle Tennessee
8-7, 0-2
51
vs
59
UAB
13-2, 2-0
1
2
3
4
F
UAB
12
15
19
13
59
Middle Tennessee
8
15
21
7
51
Team Stats
UAB
MT
FG%
.471
.375
3FG%
.333
.250
FT%
.545
.909
RB
28
30
TO
12
17
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballLady Raiders drop C-USA contest to UAB
1/6/2018 8:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lyon leads way with 15
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A superb defensive display wasn't enough for Middle Tennessee Saturday night, as UAB traveled to the Murphy Center and left with a 59-51 win.
The loss ruins a nine-game home winning streak for the Lady Raiders (8-7, 0-2) and also drops them to 0-2 in Conference USA, the first time they've started 0-2 in league play since 2003-04. They now hold a 10-6 all-time lead in the series against the Blazers (13-2, 2-0).
"You have to take your hat off to them," MT Head Coach Rick Insell said. "They did a good job and came in here and got a big win in the conference. They're 13-2 now and very deserving of that – very good basketball team."
As has become a regular occurrence this season with C-USA Preseason Player of the Year Alex Johnson sidelined due to injury, Middle Tennessee's defense did more than enough to keep the game close, but its offense couldn't deliver.
Two days after shooting just 33 percent from the field and scoring 43 points in a loss to rival WKU, the Lady Raiders managed to make 38 percent Saturday, including 25 percent from 3-point range.
It's an issue that will have to correct itself with a long C-USA schedule still left to play.
"We have two good possessions to 10 bad ones," senior Abbey Sissom said. "We just can't keep going like that.
"With [Johnson] in the post, I feel like every time I throw it in there she gets something positive out of it. We're missing her right now, but we can't make excuses … we have other players that can step up and take the load, and we're just not doing that right now."
While it searched for a hot hand offensively, MT did its best to keep things close on the defensive end.
After holding WKU, C-USA's leading scoring team, to 20 points below its average on Thursday, the Lady Raiders nearly did the same Saturday.
The Blazers went into the game nipping on WKU's heals for the scoring lead, averaging 76.2 per contest. They also held the top spot in 3-point percentage 42.2 percent, but managed just 33 percent (5-of-15) Saturday.
"We've been priding ourselves on defense, but we still had a lot of breakdowns tonight," Sissom said. "Our defense still could do better. All we can do is go back to work."
Middle Tennessee's defense was stellar for most of the night and allowed the blue and white to enter the final quarter trailing by only two points.
The Lady Raiders simply ran out of gas, though.
UAB quickly turned the two-point advantage into seven and held on from there, as MT scored just seven points in the entire final frame on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0-of-5 from distance.
"We had a lot of breakdowns on their shooters," Insell said. "They hit some bigtime threes down the stretch, and that's what bigtime players are supposed to do."
Senior Gabby Lyon, who came off the bench, was a second-half spark offensively for the Lady Raiders, scoring 13 of her team-high 15 points after halftime. She finished 5-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-2 from downtown, and also added nine rebounds and two steals.
Sissom added 11 points, and redshirt sophomore Jordan Majors had eight points and three blocks in 14 minutes off the bench.
The Lady Raiders will now hit the road for a two-game swing. They'll try for their first league win Jan. 11 at UTSA then will stay in Texas to take on UTEP on Jan. 13.
The loss ruins a nine-game home winning streak for the Lady Raiders (8-7, 0-2) and also drops them to 0-2 in Conference USA, the first time they've started 0-2 in league play since 2003-04. They now hold a 10-6 all-time lead in the series against the Blazers (13-2, 2-0).
"You have to take your hat off to them," MT Head Coach Rick Insell said. "They did a good job and came in here and got a big win in the conference. They're 13-2 now and very deserving of that – very good basketball team."
As has become a regular occurrence this season with C-USA Preseason Player of the Year Alex Johnson sidelined due to injury, Middle Tennessee's defense did more than enough to keep the game close, but its offense couldn't deliver.
Two days after shooting just 33 percent from the field and scoring 43 points in a loss to rival WKU, the Lady Raiders managed to make 38 percent Saturday, including 25 percent from 3-point range.
It's an issue that will have to correct itself with a long C-USA schedule still left to play.
"We have two good possessions to 10 bad ones," senior Abbey Sissom said. "We just can't keep going like that.
"With [Johnson] in the post, I feel like every time I throw it in there she gets something positive out of it. We're missing her right now, but we can't make excuses … we have other players that can step up and take the load, and we're just not doing that right now."
While it searched for a hot hand offensively, MT did its best to keep things close on the defensive end.
After holding WKU, C-USA's leading scoring team, to 20 points below its average on Thursday, the Lady Raiders nearly did the same Saturday.
The Blazers went into the game nipping on WKU's heals for the scoring lead, averaging 76.2 per contest. They also held the top spot in 3-point percentage 42.2 percent, but managed just 33 percent (5-of-15) Saturday.
"We've been priding ourselves on defense, but we still had a lot of breakdowns tonight," Sissom said. "Our defense still could do better. All we can do is go back to work."
Middle Tennessee's defense was stellar for most of the night and allowed the blue and white to enter the final quarter trailing by only two points.
The Lady Raiders simply ran out of gas, though.
UAB quickly turned the two-point advantage into seven and held on from there, as MT scored just seven points in the entire final frame on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0-of-5 from distance.
"We had a lot of breakdowns on their shooters," Insell said. "They hit some bigtime threes down the stretch, and that's what bigtime players are supposed to do."
Senior Gabby Lyon, who came off the bench, was a second-half spark offensively for the Lady Raiders, scoring 13 of her team-high 15 points after halftime. She finished 5-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-2 from downtown, and also added nine rebounds and two steals.
Sissom added 11 points, and redshirt sophomore Jordan Majors had eight points and three blocks in 14 minutes off the bench.
The Lady Raiders will now hit the road for a two-game swing. They'll try for their first league win Jan. 11 at UTSA then will stay in Texas to take on UTEP on Jan. 13.
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Rick Insell Conference USA Hall of Fame Announcement
Wednesday, July 09
2025 Blue Raider Blitz Media Panel
Thursday, July 03
MTSU Women's Basketball Coach Rick Insell interview at 2025 Blue Raider Blitz
Monday, June 30
