MT looking to carry momentum into homestand

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the first time since November, Middle Tennessee has won two of its last three games, and the Blue Raiders will look to carry that momentum back into the Murphy Center for a pair of games this week.

Game 24: Middle Tennessee (6-17, 2-8 C-USA) vs. North Texas (149, 8-2 C-USA)
» Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 – 6:30 p.m. CST
» Murphy Center (11,520) – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
» Mardi Gras Night and #TruePioneers Night

Game 25: Middle Tennessee vs. Rice (10-13, 2-8 C-USA)
» Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 – 5:00 p.m. CST
» Murphy Center (11,520) – Murfreesboro, Tenn.
» Block Cancer and One Goal Sports Night

About the Blue Raiders
» Middle Tennessee was just a few bounces away from winning both games of the UTEP/UTSA road trip but came away with a split after beating the Roadrunners on Saturday.
» C.J. Jones and Donovan Sims have started all 23 games of the 2019-20 season.
» The Blue Raiders get to the free throw line almost as good as anyone in the league: MT is third in free throw attempts and fourth in free throw makes in Conference USA.
» It's been a team effort on the defensive end, as the Raiders are also fourth in C-USA in total blocks.
» Jones has been MT's offensive leader, as he's fourth in C-USA in points per game (16.6) and minutes per game (34:27).
» Senior forward Reggie Scurry leads his team in rebounds (4.9 per game) and field goal percentage (61.4%).

All-Time vs. North Texas
» Thursday's game against North Texas will be the 23rd meeting between the two programs.
» MT has won nine of the last 11 matchups and owns a 15-8 lead in the series overall.

Scouting the Mean Green
» North Texas is one of two teams in C-USA with an 8-2 record in league play.
» The Mean Green has losses to Western Kentucky and Rice, both on the road.
» What makes North Texas dangerous is its ability to make shots (first in C-USA in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage) and defend (second in C-USA in scoring defense).
» The backcourt of Umoja Gibson and Javion Hamlet is the Mean Green's motor.
» Gibson is C-USA's best 3-point shooter (40.3%) and is eighth in the conference in total points.
» Hamlet runs the offense by averaging 4.8 assists per game, which ranks second in C-USA.

All-Time vs. Rice
» Saturday's game against Rice will be the 11th meeting between the two programs.
» The Blue Raiders own a 6-4 advantage in the all-time series and have not lost at home to the Owls.

Scouting the Owls
» Rice enters the week with the same C-USA record as the Blue Raiders, with wins coming against FIU and North Texas.
» Nobody in C-USA takes or makes more 3-pointers than the Owls. As a team, Rice is 231-670 from beyond the arc.
» Individually, guards Ako Adams and Trey Murphy III are among the top 10 best 3-point shooters in the league.
» 6-foot-8 forward Drew Peterson is leading the Owls in rebounds with 6.3 to go with his 9.8 points per game.
» Senior forward Robert Martin has done well off the bench for the Owls, averaging 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Last Time Out
» Middle Tennessee dropped last week's opener at UTEP by the slimmest of margins, 66-67.
» Jo'Vontae Millner poured in a career best 19 points on 8-13 from the field in 22 minutes off the bench in the loss in El Paso.
» The Blue Raiders rebounded on Saturday to beat UTSA in San Antonio, 83-80.
» C.J. Jones made three free throws with two seconds remaining in the second half to give MT its second road win of the season.

Next Time Out
» MT will head play a home-and-home against UAB next week.
» The Blue Raiders will first travel to Birmingham on Wednesday, Feb. 12 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
» Then, MT will host the Blazers on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
» Both games can be streamed on ESPN+.

For all the latest information on Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball, follow the #BlueRaiders on Facebook (@MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (MT_MBB).

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Players Mentioned

C.J. Jones

Jo'Vontae Millner-Criss

Reggie Scurry

Donovan Sims

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics