Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, November 26
Anchorage, AK
8:30 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
2-1
75
at
72
Alaska Anchorage (CBSSN)
1
2
F
Middle Tennessee
35
40
75
Alaska Anchorage
31
41
72
Team Stats
MT
UAA
FG%
.469
.393
3FG%
.375
.344
FT%
.821
.773
RB
35
26
TO
18
11
STL
4
7
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
Blue Raiders Celebrate Thanksgiving With a Win
11/26/2015 11:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MT defeated UAA, 75-72, on Thursday night
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team celebrated Thanksgiving by surviving a, 75-72, scare against University of Alaska Anchorage in the opening round of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout.
Perrin Buford, who entered the contest with 10 points through two games, finished with a team-best 18 points – 13 in the first half. Giddy Potts also turned in his third double-digit scoring outing by netting 16.
Junior Joshua Phillips led MT to a 35-26 rebounding edge by hauling in a team-high eight boards.
UAA's Sekou Wiggs paced all scorers with 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting. The guard was also 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
With MT ahead by just one point through the opening four minutes, Buford erupted for 11 straight points and Aldonis Foote finished off a rim-rocking slam to put the Blue Raiders in front, 25-13, with 11:15 to go before halftime.
Following the offensive flurry, the Blue Raiders went 1-for-9 from the floor and Wiggs led the Sea Wolves back into the game with 10 of his 20 first half points. Diante Mitchell even put UAA within two with a free throw with just 1:14 to go before halftime.
Buford gave the Blue Raiders a little bit of breathing room by pouring in a layup in the closing seconds and MT took a, 35-31, lead into the break.
MT found the shooting touch after halftime and inched the lead up to 10 when Quavius Copeland drained a three with just under 13 minutes to play.
Joshua Phillips took over from that points and slammed home an emphatic two-handed dunk. The highlight reel play ignited a three-minute span that saw Phillips score eight-straight points to pad the cushion to 15 with 7:01 to play.
Still, the Sea Wolves would not quit and went on a 19-2 run to take the lead for the first time since the 18:56 of the first half. UAA was 8-of-12 from the field during the stretch and held MT without a field goal for over six minutes.
Reggie Upshaw finally ended the drought with a layup with 59 seconds to go put MT in front by three and solid free throw shooting (5-of-7) kept MT up by the same margin with three seconds to go.
Wiggs had one more chance to send the game into overtime, but his half court heave missed its mark to propel MT into the Shootout semifinals.
The Blue Raiders will await the winner of Thursday's Drexel/UNC Asheville in Friday's finale at 11 p.m. CT.
Perrin Buford, who entered the contest with 10 points through two games, finished with a team-best 18 points – 13 in the first half. Giddy Potts also turned in his third double-digit scoring outing by netting 16.
Junior Joshua Phillips led MT to a 35-26 rebounding edge by hauling in a team-high eight boards.
UAA's Sekou Wiggs paced all scorers with 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting. The guard was also 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
With MT ahead by just one point through the opening four minutes, Buford erupted for 11 straight points and Aldonis Foote finished off a rim-rocking slam to put the Blue Raiders in front, 25-13, with 11:15 to go before halftime.
Following the offensive flurry, the Blue Raiders went 1-for-9 from the floor and Wiggs led the Sea Wolves back into the game with 10 of his 20 first half points. Diante Mitchell even put UAA within two with a free throw with just 1:14 to go before halftime.
Buford gave the Blue Raiders a little bit of breathing room by pouring in a layup in the closing seconds and MT took a, 35-31, lead into the break.
MT found the shooting touch after halftime and inched the lead up to 10 when Quavius Copeland drained a three with just under 13 minutes to play.
Joshua Phillips took over from that points and slammed home an emphatic two-handed dunk. The highlight reel play ignited a three-minute span that saw Phillips score eight-straight points to pad the cushion to 15 with 7:01 to play.
Still, the Sea Wolves would not quit and went on a 19-2 run to take the lead for the first time since the 18:56 of the first half. UAA was 8-of-12 from the field during the stretch and held MT without a field goal for over six minutes.
Reggie Upshaw finally ended the drought with a layup with 59 seconds to go put MT in front by three and solid free throw shooting (5-of-7) kept MT up by the same margin with three seconds to go.
Wiggs had one more chance to send the game into overtime, but his half court heave missed its mark to propel MT into the Shootout semifinals.
The Blue Raiders will await the winner of Thursday's Drexel/UNC Asheville in Friday's finale at 11 p.m. CT.
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs WKU 1/31/26
Saturday, January 31
MTSU Men's Basketball vs Liberty Post Game Press Conference 01/29/26
Thursday, January 29
Blue Raider Breakdown Postgame Show - January 17th - Men's Basketball
Sunday, January 18
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference 1/17/26
Sunday, January 18
