Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, March 1
Murfreesboro, TN
7 PM
Middle Tennessee
24-5, 16-1
82
vs
64
WKU
22-8, 15-2
1
2
F
WKU
34
30
64
Middle Tennessee
43
39
82
Team Stats
WKU
MT
FG%
.444
.550
3FG%
.200
.450
FT%
.700
.700
RB
28
34
TO
10
10
STL
5
7
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballBlue Raiders take C-USA title after dominating WKU
3/1/2018 10:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Walters collects double-double and Raiders cut nets
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Every victory over WKU is sweet for Middle Tennessee, but Thursday's meant even more.
The No. 24 Blue Raiders (24-5, 16-1) welcomed their rival Hilltoppers (22-8, 14-3) to the Murphy Center in front of a crowd of 11,307 and not only left with an 82-64 win, but also their second straight Conference USA regular-season championship.
"I really just appreciate the crowd tonight – it was electric, and our guys played it. I've said it ever since we've been ranked … that we look and play and prepare like a top-25 team," MT head coach Kermit Davis said after being drenched with a surprising bucket of ice water in the locker room by his players.
"Best cold shower I've had in a while."
Middle Tennessee and WKU went into the game first and second, respectively, in the C-USA standings and separated by just a game, and early on the matchup fit the bill.
As the first-half clock ticked under two minutes, MT held a slim 34-32 lead and it looked like the halftime score would be in the balance.
Three-pointers from seniors Giddy Potts and Edward Simpson pushed the Blue Raider lead to eight, though, and after a Hilltopper basket, junior Antwain Johnson got a chance for a highlight play.
After a missed WKU jump shot, senior Nick King grabbed the board for MT with four seconds on the clock and moved quickly down the floor, getting it to Simpson who quickly swung to Johnson on the left wing. Johnson didn't have time to corral the 3-point shot, but his wild throw banked off the backboard and sunk as the buzzer sounded.
Middle Tennessee took a 43-34 lead into the break, and the momentum was stolen.
"It was a great momentum lift in that building," Davis said. "A little luck is involved in that, but that was a great way to end the half."
Johnson led the way at the half with 12 points, including two makes from distance, and he was far from the only Blue Raider hot from the outside.
Potts nailed 3-of-5 from downtown in the first 20 minutes, and the Raiders finished the half 7-of-11 from 3-point range and 18-of-30 (60 percent) from the field overall.
"[Cutting the nets down at home] is something I've never done in my life," Potts said. "To cut the nets down at home, it feels great. Just to do it with my brothers and coach, it's wonderful."
The momentum continued after the half for Middle Tennessee on both ends of the floor.
On the offensive side, the Blue Raiders closed the game out shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) after halftime, and they carried that intensity to the defensive end, limiting the Hilltoppers to 40.7 percent in the second half and 44.4 percent (24-of-54) in the game.
The 64 WKU points were 15 below its season average, the 15th C-USA opponent MT has held under its season average in 17 games. The Blue Raiders went into the contest with C-USA's second-best and the nation's 27th-best scoring defense at 65.3 points per game allowed.
"I feel like the bigger the crowd we have here, the more amped up we play," King said. "We come out as a team, and with that crowd behind us, it just makes us even better. A top-25 team and a top-25 crowd, that's a great combination."
The win was the 11th in a row overall for Middle Tennessee and its fourth in a row over WKU. The Blue Raiders have also won 13 of the last 15 in the 136-game series.
King, who went into the night third in the conference and 19th nationally averaging 21.5 points per game, finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. He also registered 28 points and nine rebounds in the teams' first matchup this season.
Senior Brandon Walters added 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in his third double-double of the season, while Johnson and Potts rounded out the double-figure scoring with 17 and 11, respectively. Freshman Donovan Sims, in his second career start, had six points, six assists and four steals.
Middle Tennessee will wrap up its regular season on Saturday against Marshall. The senior day game will tip off at 6 p.m., and four players – King, Simpson, Potts and Walters – will be honored alongside three senior women's basketball players.
The Thundering Herd handed the Blue Raiders their only C-USA loss so far this season, a 73-63 setback on Jan. 18.
"We just have to come in with the same aggression, pay attention to detail and scout them," King said. "We know what they like to do, so we just have to get on our iPads and study them, study them, study them.
"If we play like we played the last two games, I'm not worried about anything."
The No. 24 Blue Raiders (24-5, 16-1) welcomed their rival Hilltoppers (22-8, 14-3) to the Murphy Center in front of a crowd of 11,307 and not only left with an 82-64 win, but also their second straight Conference USA regular-season championship.
"I really just appreciate the crowd tonight – it was electric, and our guys played it. I've said it ever since we've been ranked … that we look and play and prepare like a top-25 team," MT head coach Kermit Davis said after being drenched with a surprising bucket of ice water in the locker room by his players.
"Best cold shower I've had in a while."
Middle Tennessee and WKU went into the game first and second, respectively, in the C-USA standings and separated by just a game, and early on the matchup fit the bill.
As the first-half clock ticked under two minutes, MT held a slim 34-32 lead and it looked like the halftime score would be in the balance.
Three-pointers from seniors Giddy Potts and Edward Simpson pushed the Blue Raider lead to eight, though, and after a Hilltopper basket, junior Antwain Johnson got a chance for a highlight play.
After a missed WKU jump shot, senior Nick King grabbed the board for MT with four seconds on the clock and moved quickly down the floor, getting it to Simpson who quickly swung to Johnson on the left wing. Johnson didn't have time to corral the 3-point shot, but his wild throw banked off the backboard and sunk as the buzzer sounded.
Middle Tennessee took a 43-34 lead into the break, and the momentum was stolen.
"It was a great momentum lift in that building," Davis said. "A little luck is involved in that, but that was a great way to end the half."
Johnson led the way at the half with 12 points, including two makes from distance, and he was far from the only Blue Raider hot from the outside.
Potts nailed 3-of-5 from downtown in the first 20 minutes, and the Raiders finished the half 7-of-11 from 3-point range and 18-of-30 (60 percent) from the field overall.
"[Cutting the nets down at home] is something I've never done in my life," Potts said. "To cut the nets down at home, it feels great. Just to do it with my brothers and coach, it's wonderful."
The momentum continued after the half for Middle Tennessee on both ends of the floor.
On the offensive side, the Blue Raiders closed the game out shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) after halftime, and they carried that intensity to the defensive end, limiting the Hilltoppers to 40.7 percent in the second half and 44.4 percent (24-of-54) in the game.
The 64 WKU points were 15 below its season average, the 15th C-USA opponent MT has held under its season average in 17 games. The Blue Raiders went into the contest with C-USA's second-best and the nation's 27th-best scoring defense at 65.3 points per game allowed.
"I feel like the bigger the crowd we have here, the more amped up we play," King said. "We come out as a team, and with that crowd behind us, it just makes us even better. A top-25 team and a top-25 crowd, that's a great combination."
The win was the 11th in a row overall for Middle Tennessee and its fourth in a row over WKU. The Blue Raiders have also won 13 of the last 15 in the 136-game series.
King, who went into the night third in the conference and 19th nationally averaging 21.5 points per game, finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. He also registered 28 points and nine rebounds in the teams' first matchup this season.
Senior Brandon Walters added 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in his third double-double of the season, while Johnson and Potts rounded out the double-figure scoring with 17 and 11, respectively. Freshman Donovan Sims, in his second career start, had six points, six assists and four steals.
Middle Tennessee will wrap up its regular season on Saturday against Marshall. The senior day game will tip off at 6 p.m., and four players – King, Simpson, Potts and Walters – will be honored alongside three senior women's basketball players.
The Thundering Herd handed the Blue Raiders their only C-USA loss so far this season, a 73-63 setback on Jan. 18.
"We just have to come in with the same aggression, pay attention to detail and scout them," King said. "We know what they like to do, so we just have to get on our iPads and study them, study them, study them.
"If we play like we played the last two games, I'm not worried about anything."
2025 MTSU Basketball tickets on sale now - October 1st
Wednesday, October 01
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
2025 Blue Raider Blitz Media Panel
Thursday, July 03
MTSU Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt interview at 2025 Blue Raider Blitz
Monday, June 30
