MT Takes Down Faulkner in Exhibition

Thursday, November 12

Murfreesboro, TN

6:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

Faulkner University (EXH)

11/12/2015 8:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Blue Raiders Cruise to 84-63 Victory

By: @MTAthletics

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

MURFREESBORO – With solid shooting and a dominant game on the boards, Middle Tennessee was able to cruise past Faulkner with an 84-63 win on Thursday.

Giddy Potts led the Raiders in scoring with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting while going 3-for-5 from behind the arc. He added five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Reggie Upshaw registered a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Middle Tennessee shot 55.7 percent on the night, while holding Faulkner to a rate of 37.3 percent. The Raiders also turned in a 47-26 advantage on the boards and were able to amass 48 points in the paint to Faulkner's 18.

Darnell Harris started strong and was able to close out the night with 11 points and six rebounds. Perrin Buford pulled down nine boards in the contest while scoring six points.

After trailing the Eagles 5-2 in the opening minutes, four points from Buford ignited an 8-0 run for the Blue Raiders. Soon after Upshaw gave MT a 16-13 advantage on back-to-back dunks, but Faulkner was able to hang in the game with its three-point shooting early on.

In the first half alone, the Eagles poured in 10 three-pointers to keep the game interesting, despite Middle Tennessee shooting 20-of-28 from the field.

As the game reached the final media timeout before halftime, the Blue Raiders began to increase the lead thanks to the mix of a 9-0 run and an intensified defensive effort. The stretch included a block by Buford and lockdown defense that forced Faulkner to take tough shots as the shot clock wound down.

With the first half nearing its end, Potts went on a tear, scoring seven straight points for the Raiders on back-to-back jumpers and a three-pointer from the left wing. The Raiders would go into the locker room with 49-36 lead over the Eagles.

Newcomers Quavius Copeland, Karl Gamble and Aldonis Foote all saw their first action in the Murphy Center, combining for 11 points off the bench. The trio will have their first shot at their official Middle Tennessee debuts in next week's season opener.

Faulkner drew within six to open the second half, but after another rim-rocking slam by Upshaw at the 16:26 mark, the Eagles would fail to close the gap to single-digits for the remainder of the game.

Upshaw ended up taking over for the Raiders late, with 14 points and eight rebounds in the second half.

The Blue Raiders open the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 17 when they take Murray State on the road. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.