Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, February 11
Murfreesboro, TN
5 PM
Middle Tennessee
22-4, 12-1
70
vs
55
Charlotte
11-13, 5-8
1
2
F
Charlotte
24
31
55
Middle Tennessee
33
37
70
Team Stats
CHA
MT
FG%
.385
.453
3FG%
.176
.200
FT%
.600
.692
RB
35
41
TO
12
9
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballRaiders overcome slow start for 70-55 win
2/11/2017 8:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Williams logs 10th double-double
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee overcame a slow start Saturday to win handily against the visiting Charlotte 49ers, 70-55.
"I thought Charlotte really played with a toughness and physicalness tonight," MT head coach Kermit Davis, who is now 6-0 all-time against Charlotte, said. "It's a fun part of the year. It's a tough part of the year, but it's fun. The games just keep getting bigger and bigger."
The Blue Raiders (22-4, 12-1) struggled out of the gates to find easy looks against a stingy Charlotte (11-13, 5-8) defense and found themselves trailing 12-4 through the first 7 minutes.
Middle Tennessee hit just two of its first 10 shots and missed six in a row, while the 49ers started 5 of 8 from the field.
"We're not having multiple guys make perimeter shots," Davis said. "I thought we got intimidated at the goal … we just need another guy who can make a shot. We finally got in transition a little bit and started playing downhill in the paint."
Just when the Blue Raiders needed a spark offensively, they got it from senior Reggie Upshaw and junior Giddy Potts.
The two combined for 23 points in the first half and guided the Raiders on a 29-12 run to enter halftime with a 33-24 advantage. Upshaw finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds, while Potts had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and six boards.
Upshaw also tied Kevin Kanaskie Saturday for the MT all-time lead with 105 career games started.
"That's really the luxury of having three players who can kind of do it all," Upshaw said. "When one of us isn't being as productive as usual, the other two can step up and make the big plays or do the right things at the right times to keep the team going."
The Middle Tennessee run was also fueled by their ability to take care of the basketball.
After turning the ball over five times in the first 11 minutes, the Blue Raiders, who average a Conference USA-best 11 turnovers per game, lost it just four more times over the remainder of the game to finish with nine.
"We just had to lock in," redshirt senior forward JaCorey Williams said. "When the game started we were flat and didn't have much energy. We just had to lock in and concentrate on what we were doing."
With its offense figured out, MT was able to buckle down defensively. C-USA's second-best defense that gives up 62.9 points per game allowed the 49ers, the third-highest scoring team in the conference (78.4 per game), to shoot 38.5 percent (20-52). Charlotte's Jon Davis, the highest scorer in the conference at 20 points per game, finished with just 13.
"Those active hands and just being tough and physical goes a long way," Kermit Davis said. "We talk about kicks and deflections all the time … it's a big stat for us.
"To hold [Jon Davis] to 5 for 13 and 0 for 4 [from 3-point range] was a good day for us."
After starting with just four points in the first half, MT leading scorer JaCorey Williams finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Tyrik Dixon added nine points and three steals, while Xavier Habersham had five points and Aldonis Foote had four points and five rebounds.
The win keeps Middle Tennessee's conference lead over LA Tech at two games with five contests remaining.
The Raiders hit the road for their next three games against WKU, Marshall and UAB before finishing at home against FIU and Florida Atlantic on March 2 and 4, respectively.
"We just need to stay focused," Potts said. "Coach Davis always says February is the month where teams separate themselves, and I think our team is so mature we can come together and that can impact every game over the next few weeks."
"I thought Charlotte really played with a toughness and physicalness tonight," MT head coach Kermit Davis, who is now 6-0 all-time against Charlotte, said. "It's a fun part of the year. It's a tough part of the year, but it's fun. The games just keep getting bigger and bigger."
The Blue Raiders (22-4, 12-1) struggled out of the gates to find easy looks against a stingy Charlotte (11-13, 5-8) defense and found themselves trailing 12-4 through the first 7 minutes.
Middle Tennessee hit just two of its first 10 shots and missed six in a row, while the 49ers started 5 of 8 from the field.
"We're not having multiple guys make perimeter shots," Davis said. "I thought we got intimidated at the goal … we just need another guy who can make a shot. We finally got in transition a little bit and started playing downhill in the paint."
Just when the Blue Raiders needed a spark offensively, they got it from senior Reggie Upshaw and junior Giddy Potts.
The two combined for 23 points in the first half and guided the Raiders on a 29-12 run to enter halftime with a 33-24 advantage. Upshaw finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds, while Potts had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and six boards.
Upshaw also tied Kevin Kanaskie Saturday for the MT all-time lead with 105 career games started.
"That's really the luxury of having three players who can kind of do it all," Upshaw said. "When one of us isn't being as productive as usual, the other two can step up and make the big plays or do the right things at the right times to keep the team going."
The Middle Tennessee run was also fueled by their ability to take care of the basketball.
After turning the ball over five times in the first 11 minutes, the Blue Raiders, who average a Conference USA-best 11 turnovers per game, lost it just four more times over the remainder of the game to finish with nine.
"We just had to lock in," redshirt senior forward JaCorey Williams said. "When the game started we were flat and didn't have much energy. We just had to lock in and concentrate on what we were doing."
With its offense figured out, MT was able to buckle down defensively. C-USA's second-best defense that gives up 62.9 points per game allowed the 49ers, the third-highest scoring team in the conference (78.4 per game), to shoot 38.5 percent (20-52). Charlotte's Jon Davis, the highest scorer in the conference at 20 points per game, finished with just 13.
"Those active hands and just being tough and physical goes a long way," Kermit Davis said. "We talk about kicks and deflections all the time … it's a big stat for us.
"To hold [Jon Davis] to 5 for 13 and 0 for 4 [from 3-point range] was a good day for us."
After starting with just four points in the first half, MT leading scorer JaCorey Williams finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Tyrik Dixon added nine points and three steals, while Xavier Habersham had five points and Aldonis Foote had four points and five rebounds.
The win keeps Middle Tennessee's conference lead over LA Tech at two games with five contests remaining.
The Raiders hit the road for their next three games against WKU, Marshall and UAB before finishing at home against FIU and Florida Atlantic on March 2 and 4, respectively.
"We just need to stay focused," Potts said. "Coach Davis always says February is the month where teams separate themselves, and I think our team is so mature we can come together and that can impact every game over the next few weeks."
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
2025 Blue Raider Blitz Media Panel
Thursday, July 03
MTSU Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt interview at 2025 Blue Raider Blitz
Monday, June 30
MTSU Men's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs Chattanooga NIT 3/18/25
Tuesday, March 18
