Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, February 12
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7 PM
Middle Tennessee
16-6,10-2
79
vs
61
Rice
7-15, 2-9
1st half1
2nd half2
FinalF
RICE
26
35
61
Middle Tennessee
44
35
79
Team Stats
RICE
MT
FG%
.367
.397
3FG%
.333
.333
FT%
.591
.730
RB
42
42
TO
20
17
STL
10
11
Game Leaders
Pts
29
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Sole Possession of First
2/12/2015 9:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Blue Raiders Assume Top Spot in C-USA Race
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee women's basketball team (16-6, 10-2 C-USA) stayed at the top of the Conference USA standings with a 79-61 victory over Rice Thursday evening inside the Murphy Center.
The Blue Raiders improve to 4-1 in conference play at home and 80-4 overall under head coach Rick Insell.
With a game that saw 45 total fouls, MT took advantage of getting to the free throw line outshooting Rice (7-15, 2-9 C-USA) 27-13 from the charity stripe.
Senior Cheyenne Parker registered her 13th double-double of the season with a game-high 29 points, 14 boards and a career-high 11 made free throws. Her third block with 15:07 left in the game set the single-season record with 79 blocks and counting, surpassing Kay Wilbanks' 78 blocks in 1985.
Sophomore Olivia Jones scored 13 points and six boards, while senior Shanice Cason shot an efficient 3-of-6 from the field and four made foul shots to fire up 12 points, six boards, a season-high five steals and three dimes. Sophomore guard Ty Petty rounded out the leading scorers with 10 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
In a foul plagued first half, both teams struggled from the floor as MT and Rice shot less than 30 percent to begin the contest. Despite the cold shooting, MT pieced together a 9-0 run while down 4-3 to take a commanding 12-4 lead with 12:44 left in the first stanza.
Parker and Jones scored all nine points, and the defense played exceptionally wellforcing Rice to miss eight-straight field goals over a 4:36 scoring drought. After the lead stretched to 13, 20-7, off an Abbey Sissom trey, Rice went on a 6-0 spurt to cut the deficit to single digits, 20-13.
But Blue Raiders flexed their muscle en route to taking a 44-26 lead into the locker room after outscoring Rice, 24-13, over the final 8:31 of the stanza. Parker dominated the paint on her way to 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. She also grabbed eight boards and swatted two shots.
Defensively, MT forced Rice into 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) shooting while forcing the Owls into 12 miscues.
The Owls wouldn't go away quietly as a 13-2 run cut the deficit to single digits, 55-46, while a cold shooting spell also played a factor in the Owls staying within striking distance.MT made just five shots over the final 16:19 of the contest, including a streak of 13-straight missed field goals.
With 4:14 left in the contest and Rice again closing the gap to single digits, 64-56, Juniors Brea Edwards and Caroline Warden made the biggest shots of the second stanza with a pair of back-to-back trifectas that pushed the lead to 14, 70-56.
From that point on, the lead was at double digits the rest of the way as MT hit six of its final seven free throws to claim the victory.
MT will look to sweep C-USA's Texas schools on Saturday when North Texas invades the Glass House for a 4 p.m., tip-off.
The Blue Raiders improve to 4-1 in conference play at home and 80-4 overall under head coach Rick Insell.
With a game that saw 45 total fouls, MT took advantage of getting to the free throw line outshooting Rice (7-15, 2-9 C-USA) 27-13 from the charity stripe.
Senior Cheyenne Parker registered her 13th double-double of the season with a game-high 29 points, 14 boards and a career-high 11 made free throws. Her third block with 15:07 left in the game set the single-season record with 79 blocks and counting, surpassing Kay Wilbanks' 78 blocks in 1985.
Sophomore Olivia Jones scored 13 points and six boards, while senior Shanice Cason shot an efficient 3-of-6 from the field and four made foul shots to fire up 12 points, six boards, a season-high five steals and three dimes. Sophomore guard Ty Petty rounded out the leading scorers with 10 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
In a foul plagued first half, both teams struggled from the floor as MT and Rice shot less than 30 percent to begin the contest. Despite the cold shooting, MT pieced together a 9-0 run while down 4-3 to take a commanding 12-4 lead with 12:44 left in the first stanza.
Parker and Jones scored all nine points, and the defense played exceptionally wellforcing Rice to miss eight-straight field goals over a 4:36 scoring drought. After the lead stretched to 13, 20-7, off an Abbey Sissom trey, Rice went on a 6-0 spurt to cut the deficit to single digits, 20-13.
But Blue Raiders flexed their muscle en route to taking a 44-26 lead into the locker room after outscoring Rice, 24-13, over the final 8:31 of the stanza. Parker dominated the paint on her way to 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. She also grabbed eight boards and swatted two shots.
Defensively, MT forced Rice into 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) shooting while forcing the Owls into 12 miscues.
The Owls wouldn't go away quietly as a 13-2 run cut the deficit to single digits, 55-46, while a cold shooting spell also played a factor in the Owls staying within striking distance.MT made just five shots over the final 16:19 of the contest, including a streak of 13-straight missed field goals.
With 4:14 left in the contest and Rice again closing the gap to single digits, 64-56, Juniors Brea Edwards and Caroline Warden made the biggest shots of the second stanza with a pair of back-to-back trifectas that pushed the lead to 14, 70-56.
From that point on, the lead was at double digits the rest of the way as MT hit six of its final seven free throws to claim the victory.
MT will look to sweep C-USA's Texas schools on Saturday when North Texas invades the Glass House for a 4 p.m., tip-off.
8th MTSU WBB Head Coach - Matt Insell
Wednesday, April 01
MTSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference vs Cleveland State on 3/26/26
Thursday, March 26
WBB: Matt Insell Introductory Press Conference
Tuesday, March 24
MTSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference vs St. Bonaventure on 3/23/26
Monday, March 23
