Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, November 16
Murfreesboro, TN
6:30 PM
Middle Tennessee
3-1
76
vs
73
Charleston Southern
2-2
1
2
F
Charleston Southern
25
48
73
Middle Tennessee
45
31
76
Team Stats
CSU
MT
FG%
.344
.472
3FG%
.346
.294
FT%
.667
.677
RB
43
36
TO
17
17
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballBlue Raiders hang on to down CSU, 76-73
11/16/2018 9:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Green hits 20-point mark for third time
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Charleston Southern made its first trip to Middle Tennessee for a men's basketball game Friday, and the home team didn't offer a nice parting gift.
The Blue Raiders (3-1) used multiple first-half runs to take a 20-point advantage into halftime and held on, sending the Buccaneers (2-2) home with a 76-73 defeat.
The teams had never met on the hardwood before Friday, but MT head coach Nick McDevitt knew the Buccaneers well from having faced them in the Big South Conference while the head coach at UNC Asheville for five years.
Middle Tennessee's first-year head coach is now 10-1 all-time against Charleston Southern.
"This was a good win for our team," McDevitt said. "I thought our guys did a nice job most of the game handling their pressure … and it was a good home win for us."
On the strength of their defense, the Blue Raiders built a double-digit lead midway through the first half and it grew to 20 by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, 45-25.
They limited the Buccaneers to 25.9 percent shooting from the floor (7-27) and forced 11 turnovers, converting the miscues into 13 points.
While shutting down CSU on the defensive end, team leading scorer Antonio Green went to work offensively to help build MT's first-half lead.
The redshirt junior poured in 16 of his team-high 22 points before the break, connecting on 5-of-8 shots and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
It was his third 20-point game of the season, and he also added six rebounds to tie the team high.
"I think it's no secret, he's a scorer," McDevitt said. "If he's not scoring, then we have other options … but at the same time, Antonio knows if it's a shot that he practices, then I'm ok with him taking it."
The big halftime lead proved to be just enough for the Blue Raiders in the second half.
They got a little careless with the ball over a seven-minute stretch, committing eight turnovers and allowing Charleston Southern to cut the lead to as little as three with 41 seconds remaining.
After a missed 3-pointer from freshman Jayce Johnson with eight seconds left, the Buccaneers had a chance at a game-tying heave, but the prayer went wide left.
"I think it was just a lack of concentration and being complacent coming out of halftime with a big lead," sophomore guard Donovan Sims said. "We just have to figure out how to keep pushing like we did in the first half and having that same focus. If we figure that out, we'll be ok."
Junior forward Reggie Scurry added 12 points for Middle Tennessee, and senior James Hawthorne added 10 as the other Blue Raider in double figures. Sims had nine points, while senior Karl Gamble had eight and six rebounds. Freshman Anthony Crump added three points, five assists and five rebounds.
The Blue Raiders will get to play their next few games in warmer weather, as they'll travel to the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas from Nov. 21-23. Their first matchup will be against No. 4 Virginia.
"For our team to get a chance to go to the Bahamas and play in a prestigious tournament like this, it will be an experience they'll never forget," McDevitt said. "Hopefully we can have some fun between the lines, as well."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders (3-1) used multiple first-half runs to take a 20-point advantage into halftime and held on, sending the Buccaneers (2-2) home with a 76-73 defeat.
The teams had never met on the hardwood before Friday, but MT head coach Nick McDevitt knew the Buccaneers well from having faced them in the Big South Conference while the head coach at UNC Asheville for five years.
Middle Tennessee's first-year head coach is now 10-1 all-time against Charleston Southern.
"This was a good win for our team," McDevitt said. "I thought our guys did a nice job most of the game handling their pressure … and it was a good home win for us."
On the strength of their defense, the Blue Raiders built a double-digit lead midway through the first half and it grew to 20 by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, 45-25.
They limited the Buccaneers to 25.9 percent shooting from the floor (7-27) and forced 11 turnovers, converting the miscues into 13 points.
While shutting down CSU on the defensive end, team leading scorer Antonio Green went to work offensively to help build MT's first-half lead.
The redshirt junior poured in 16 of his team-high 22 points before the break, connecting on 5-of-8 shots and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
It was his third 20-point game of the season, and he also added six rebounds to tie the team high.
"I think it's no secret, he's a scorer," McDevitt said. "If he's not scoring, then we have other options … but at the same time, Antonio knows if it's a shot that he practices, then I'm ok with him taking it."
The big halftime lead proved to be just enough for the Blue Raiders in the second half.
They got a little careless with the ball over a seven-minute stretch, committing eight turnovers and allowing Charleston Southern to cut the lead to as little as three with 41 seconds remaining.
After a missed 3-pointer from freshman Jayce Johnson with eight seconds left, the Buccaneers had a chance at a game-tying heave, but the prayer went wide left.
"I think it was just a lack of concentration and being complacent coming out of halftime with a big lead," sophomore guard Donovan Sims said. "We just have to figure out how to keep pushing like we did in the first half and having that same focus. If we figure that out, we'll be ok."
Junior forward Reggie Scurry added 12 points for Middle Tennessee, and senior James Hawthorne added 10 as the other Blue Raider in double figures. Sims had nine points, while senior Karl Gamble had eight and six rebounds. Freshman Anthony Crump added three points, five assists and five rebounds.
The Blue Raiders will get to play their next few games in warmer weather, as they'll travel to the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas from Nov. 21-23. Their first matchup will be against No. 4 Virginia.
"For our team to get a chance to go to the Bahamas and play in a prestigious tournament like this, it will be an experience they'll never forget," McDevitt said. "Hopefully we can have some fun between the lines, as well."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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
