Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Thursday, January 14
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6:30 PM
Middle Tennessee
9-6, 3-1
72
vs
67
Charlotte
9-6, 2-2
1
2
3
4
F
Charlotte
22
20
14
11
67
Middle Tennessee
20
17
18
17
72
Team Stats
CHA
MT
FG%
.456
.407
3FG%
.231
.259
FT%
.857
.810
RB
37
30
TO
19
10
STL
4
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballBlue Raiders rally to secure riveting C-USA win
1/14/2016 9:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Petty's 20 leads the way
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The game between Middle Tennessee and Charlotte had a postseason feel to it when the two contenders collided in a key early-season showdown at Murphy Center Thursday.
Middle Tennessee (9-6, 3-1) used a stingy second-half defense and clutch shooting to score a 72-67 win from Charlotte in front of 3,698 at Murphy Center. Three players reached double figures but every Blue Raider who played scored and all of them contributed to what Head Coach Rick Insell called a "team win" following the game.
Ty Petty tied her season high with 20 points, dished out six assists, collected three steals and played all 40 minutes for the second straight game. Senior Brea Edwards finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals. It was Edwards' third double-double of the season and seventh of her career.
Freshman standout Alex Johnson continued to flourish with 15 points and four rebounds to lead the inside attack. Rebecca Reuter tallied nine points.
"This was a team win against a very good Charlotte team," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Insell said. "We battled. We competed. I thought our second-half defense was better and that was a key. We just have to keep working and improving but this team took a big step forward to get a quality conference win tonight."
The intense showdown featured nine ties and eight lead changes. The score was tied four times and there were five lead changes in the second-half alone. Trailing 63-62 with less than three minutes remaining, senior Caroline Warden came up with her biggest field goal of the season and one of the most significant of her career.
Warden's 3-pointer near the end of the shot clock provided the Blue Raiders a 65-63 lead with 2:38 remaining. It was a lead they would not relinquish.
"What a shot by Caroline Warden," Insell said. "That was the shot of the game. That was big time. I'm proud of Caroline. She has battled and worked hard during her comeback from offseason knee surgery. She's a winner and when the game was on the line she had what it took to reach deep and give us a lift. What a shot!"
It was still nip-and-tuck down the stretch.
Johnson's spinning layup stretched the lead to 67-63 with 1:47 remaining but Charlotte's Grace Hunter added a jumper on the other end to pull the 49ers (9-6, 2-2) within 67-65 with 1:04 left.
Petty came back with two clutch free throws to push the advantage back to four, 69-65, with 23 ticks remaining before Edwards provided one of the biggest defensive plays of the night. Edwards, known for her offense, stepped in front of a pass and collected a key steal, then connected on both free throws to seal the Blue Raiders' victory.
"How about that steal?," Insell asked the media following the game. "Brea is a winner. She didn't have one of her better shooting nights but she impacts the game with 10 rebounds and comes up with a huge steal for this team. I am proud of our Lady Raiders. They all contributed to this win. Even the young ladies who didn't get into the game made an impact at practice and staying in the game from the bench."
Speaking of winners, Johnson was solid again. The three-time C-USA Freshman of the Week played like a veteran, especially down the stretch. It wasn't just the fact that a surging Johnson scored double figures for the third straight game for the first time of her blossoming college career, but when she scored the points that mattered.
She was 2-for-3 in the fourth quarter, including 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, and added a block of Kira Gordon's shot in the paint in the final 3:30.
The Blue Raiders also helped their cause at the free-throw line where they were 17-for-21 for 81 percent. It marked the third consecutive game Middle Tennessee has shot 80 percent or better from the charity stripe.
Charlotte led 42-37 at intermission after a high-scoring first half, but Middle Tennessee's defense stiffened and allowed just 25 second-half points. The 49ers shot 57 percent (17-for-30) from the field in the first half, but they were limited to 33 percent (9-for-27) in the second half.
"I was banking on Charlotte not being able to shoot as well in the second half," Insell said. "There were times in that first half when we were in great position, or had a hand on the ball, and they just made the shots. They made really tough shots being guarded. I was hoping that wouldn't continue."
Middle Tennessee was guilty of just 10 turnovers while forcing 19. The Blue Raiders outscored Charlotte 25-7 in points off of turnovers, and the reserves came up big as they outscored the 49ers 16-2.
Middle Tennessee will look to collect its third straight win for the first time this season when it plays host to Old Dominion Saturday. Tipoff is 6 p.m.
Middle Tennessee (9-6, 3-1) used a stingy second-half defense and clutch shooting to score a 72-67 win from Charlotte in front of 3,698 at Murphy Center. Three players reached double figures but every Blue Raider who played scored and all of them contributed to what Head Coach Rick Insell called a "team win" following the game.
Ty Petty tied her season high with 20 points, dished out six assists, collected three steals and played all 40 minutes for the second straight game. Senior Brea Edwards finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals. It was Edwards' third double-double of the season and seventh of her career.
Freshman standout Alex Johnson continued to flourish with 15 points and four rebounds to lead the inside attack. Rebecca Reuter tallied nine points.
"This was a team win against a very good Charlotte team," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Insell said. "We battled. We competed. I thought our second-half defense was better and that was a key. We just have to keep working and improving but this team took a big step forward to get a quality conference win tonight."
The intense showdown featured nine ties and eight lead changes. The score was tied four times and there were five lead changes in the second-half alone. Trailing 63-62 with less than three minutes remaining, senior Caroline Warden came up with her biggest field goal of the season and one of the most significant of her career.
Warden's 3-pointer near the end of the shot clock provided the Blue Raiders a 65-63 lead with 2:38 remaining. It was a lead they would not relinquish.
"What a shot by Caroline Warden," Insell said. "That was the shot of the game. That was big time. I'm proud of Caroline. She has battled and worked hard during her comeback from offseason knee surgery. She's a winner and when the game was on the line she had what it took to reach deep and give us a lift. What a shot!"
It was still nip-and-tuck down the stretch.
Johnson's spinning layup stretched the lead to 67-63 with 1:47 remaining but Charlotte's Grace Hunter added a jumper on the other end to pull the 49ers (9-6, 2-2) within 67-65 with 1:04 left.
Petty came back with two clutch free throws to push the advantage back to four, 69-65, with 23 ticks remaining before Edwards provided one of the biggest defensive plays of the night. Edwards, known for her offense, stepped in front of a pass and collected a key steal, then connected on both free throws to seal the Blue Raiders' victory.
"How about that steal?," Insell asked the media following the game. "Brea is a winner. She didn't have one of her better shooting nights but she impacts the game with 10 rebounds and comes up with a huge steal for this team. I am proud of our Lady Raiders. They all contributed to this win. Even the young ladies who didn't get into the game made an impact at practice and staying in the game from the bench."
Speaking of winners, Johnson was solid again. The three-time C-USA Freshman of the Week played like a veteran, especially down the stretch. It wasn't just the fact that a surging Johnson scored double figures for the third straight game for the first time of her blossoming college career, but when she scored the points that mattered.
She was 2-for-3 in the fourth quarter, including 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, and added a block of Kira Gordon's shot in the paint in the final 3:30.
The Blue Raiders also helped their cause at the free-throw line where they were 17-for-21 for 81 percent. It marked the third consecutive game Middle Tennessee has shot 80 percent or better from the charity stripe.
Charlotte led 42-37 at intermission after a high-scoring first half, but Middle Tennessee's defense stiffened and allowed just 25 second-half points. The 49ers shot 57 percent (17-for-30) from the field in the first half, but they were limited to 33 percent (9-for-27) in the second half.
"I was banking on Charlotte not being able to shoot as well in the second half," Insell said. "There were times in that first half when we were in great position, or had a hand on the ball, and they just made the shots. They made really tough shots being guarded. I was hoping that wouldn't continue."
Middle Tennessee was guilty of just 10 turnovers while forcing 19. The Blue Raiders outscored Charlotte 25-7 in points off of turnovers, and the reserves came up big as they outscored the 49ers 16-2.
Middle Tennessee will look to collect its third straight win for the first time this season when it plays host to Old Dominion Saturday. Tipoff is 6 p.m.
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