Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, December 19
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
6-5
68
vs
58
Chattanooga
6-6
1
2
F
Chattanooga
20
38
58
Middle Tennessee
29
39
68
Team Stats
UTC
MT
FG%
.424
.489
3FG%
.278
.583
FT%
.429
.882
RB
26
34
TO
11
13
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballPotts' hot streak leads MT past UTC
12/19/2014 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Blue Raiders defeat Chattanooga 68-58
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee outlasted Chattanooga 68-58 Friday night in the first action at Murphy Center in over three weeks. The Blue Raiders improved to 6-5 on the season and have recorded a win in three of the previous four games.
The Blue Raiders never trailed in the second half and shot a scorching 58.3 percent from beyond the arc. The home team finished 48.9 percent from the field overall as the bench outscored Chattanooga's reserves 38-21.
Middle Tennessee also remained undefeated when scoring 60 or more points.
Giddy Potts had a career night, shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range while adding four free throws and finishing with a game-high 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench. The freshman also hauled in seven rebounds to equal his personal best set earlier this season.
Reggie Upshaw Jr. reached double figures with 11 points and four boards, while Darnell Harris netted 10 points on efficient 5-of-6 shooting during his first career start.
Middle Tennessee led the majority of the first half with six points from Harris and Potts each. The Blue Raiders jumped out early with an 8-2 advantage, but Chattanooga climbed back to grab its first lead on a three-pointer with 12:25 on the clock. That didn't last long though as Upshaw dunked on the ensuing MT possession to even the score at 10.
Potts then sparked the home squad by sinking his first collegiate three-pointer, while Raymond knocked down a trey on the following possession. That completed a 10-2 run and extended the Blue Raider lead to 26-16 with just over four minutes in the half.
"He can shoot. He's a confident shooter," said Head Coach Kermit Davis. "Like a lot of freshmen, they go through different periods of time, but I thought he was exceptional tonight. He made a big three at the end of the (shot) clock to put it to ten (point lead). I was really proud of what Giddy did tonight."
MT built an 11 point advantage when Potts drilled his second trey near the end of the period to make the score 29-18. The Blue Raiders stayed ahead field and carried a 29-20 advantage into halftime.
Both teams came out of the break in attack mode.
Chattanooga cut MT's lead to five points on three separate occasions during a span of five minutes to start the second frame. However, a Marcus Tarrance 3-pointer got the Blue Raiders going, and shortly after Potts hit another shot beyond the arc to go up 44-31 with 13 minutes left in regulation.
From there, MT hit 5-of-6 from the field to build the largest lead of the game at 6:55 left in regulation and the Blue Raiders ahead 59-43.
With the game seemingly out of reach, Chattanooga fought back into it with a 9-0 run and trimmed the deficit to 59-54 with 4:37 to play. But five points was the closest the Mocs would get once again.
Potts sealed the game on a three-point dagger, his fourth of the contest, putting MT up 68-58 with just over a minute left.
Greg Pryor led the Mocs (6-6) with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Casey Jones chipped in with 10.
"We played about as good as we've played," Davis said. "Reminded me at some periods of Akron where we got up by 16. Like good teams do, (UTC) shoots the ball so well; they got some 50/50 balls into threes. But I was really proud of our guys, especially at the free throw line late. "
Middle Tennessee will get right back at it Sunday when it hosts Tennessee State for a 2 p.m. non-conference matchup inside Murphy Center.
The Blue Raiders never trailed in the second half and shot a scorching 58.3 percent from beyond the arc. The home team finished 48.9 percent from the field overall as the bench outscored Chattanooga's reserves 38-21.
Middle Tennessee also remained undefeated when scoring 60 or more points.
Giddy Potts had a career night, shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range while adding four free throws and finishing with a game-high 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench. The freshman also hauled in seven rebounds to equal his personal best set earlier this season.
Reggie Upshaw Jr. reached double figures with 11 points and four boards, while Darnell Harris netted 10 points on efficient 5-of-6 shooting during his first career start.
Middle Tennessee led the majority of the first half with six points from Harris and Potts each. The Blue Raiders jumped out early with an 8-2 advantage, but Chattanooga climbed back to grab its first lead on a three-pointer with 12:25 on the clock. That didn't last long though as Upshaw dunked on the ensuing MT possession to even the score at 10.
Potts then sparked the home squad by sinking his first collegiate three-pointer, while Raymond knocked down a trey on the following possession. That completed a 10-2 run and extended the Blue Raider lead to 26-16 with just over four minutes in the half.
"He can shoot. He's a confident shooter," said Head Coach Kermit Davis. "Like a lot of freshmen, they go through different periods of time, but I thought he was exceptional tonight. He made a big three at the end of the (shot) clock to put it to ten (point lead). I was really proud of what Giddy did tonight."
MT built an 11 point advantage when Potts drilled his second trey near the end of the period to make the score 29-18. The Blue Raiders stayed ahead field and carried a 29-20 advantage into halftime.
Both teams came out of the break in attack mode.
Chattanooga cut MT's lead to five points on three separate occasions during a span of five minutes to start the second frame. However, a Marcus Tarrance 3-pointer got the Blue Raiders going, and shortly after Potts hit another shot beyond the arc to go up 44-31 with 13 minutes left in regulation.
From there, MT hit 5-of-6 from the field to build the largest lead of the game at 6:55 left in regulation and the Blue Raiders ahead 59-43.
With the game seemingly out of reach, Chattanooga fought back into it with a 9-0 run and trimmed the deficit to 59-54 with 4:37 to play. But five points was the closest the Mocs would get once again.
Potts sealed the game on a three-point dagger, his fourth of the contest, putting MT up 68-58 with just over a minute left.
Greg Pryor led the Mocs (6-6) with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Casey Jones chipped in with 10.
"We played about as good as we've played," Davis said. "Reminded me at some periods of Akron where we got up by 16. Like good teams do, (UTC) shoots the ball so well; they got some 50/50 balls into threes. But I was really proud of our guys, especially at the free throw line late. "
Middle Tennessee will get right back at it Sunday when it hosts Tennessee State for a 2 p.m. non-conference matchup inside Murphy Center.
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