Middle Tennessee Hosts Western Kentucky in Sun Belt Conference Opener

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee women's basketball opens Sun Belt Conference play at 2 p.m. on Sunday when the Blue Raiders host Western Kentucky. The Blue Raiders face a Lady Topper team which sports a 10-3 record and is coming off a 72-57 loss to No. 20 Vanderbilt. Middle Tennessee is trying to rebound from a two-game losing streak with losses to Austin Peay and Virginia and is currently 7-6. The home game with Western Kentucky will be the first at the Murphy Center since the Blue Raiders defeated Tennessee Tech 74-46 on December 21. "As conference play begins I see all the teams starting at zero," said Head Coach Rick Insell. "Everyone is now playing for seeding in the tournament and that gives everyone a clean slate as the second half of the season begins." The last meeting between the two teams was in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament where Middle Tennessee defeated Western Kentucky 65-61 to advance to the finals against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Lady Toppers hold a 20-15 advantage over the Blue Raiders in games that date back to 1977. "Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky is a great rivalry," Insell said. "We are linked not only by geographic location but by a long tradition of success." Middle Tennessee is led by junior guard Chrissy Givens who is averaging 19.8 points per game, ranking her 20th in the nation in scoring. She is also averaging 3.3 steals per game which puts her 18th in the country. Krystle Horton and Tia Stovall are averaging 11.9 and 11.8 points per game respectively. Western Kentucky counters with Crystal Kelly who is averaging 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Tiffany Porter-Talbert is also averaging in double figures in scoring with 17.2 points per game. Middle Tennessee is striving to break the women's basketball single game attendance record when the Blue Raiders host Western Kentucky. The current record for a non-double-header is 4,000 set against Murray State on February 15, 1992. "I am excited about the game on Sunday and the potential record-setting crowd," Insell said. "We just have to come out and put a good product on the floor and I think we have a chance to break the single-season attendance record when all is said and done."

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Players Mentioned

Chrissy Givens

Krystle Horton

Tia Stovall

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics