Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders head south of the border for two games
11/22/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cancun, Mexico – After suffering its first loss of the season at Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Middle Tennessee (3-1) travels to Mexico for games against Rider (2-3) on Tuesday and either Bucknell (1-3) or Mercer (1-3) on Wednesday at the Cancun Challenge.
The games can be viewed on FloHoops.com. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast on WGNS 1450 AM/100.5 FM; The Game 2 94.9 FM/95.1 FM.
Middle Tennessee was down by 10 heading into halftime against Stephen F. Austin. The team showed resilience after the break, cutting the deficit down to one point with 13 minutes to go in the half. The Lumberjacks pulled away with just under five minutes left in the contest to seal the game.
The Blue Raiders were led by Josh Jefferson, who posted 23 points and was a perfect 14-14 from the free throw line. Guard Eli Lawrence contributed 18 points and added a season-high seven rebounds in the loss. Sophomore Camryn Weston also notched 12 points and six assists, which were both season highs.
Game 5: Middle Tennessee (3-1, 0-0 C-USA) vs. Rider (2-3, 0-0 MAAC)
» Tuesday, November 23, 2021 – 11:30 a.m. ET
» Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya – Cancun, Mexico
» Cancun Challenge Tournament
Game 6: Middle Tennessee vs. either Bucknell or Mercer
» Wednesday, November 24, 2021 – Time TBA
» Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya – Cancun, Mexico
» Cancun Challenge Tournament
About the Blue Raiders
» The Blue Raiders have brought the defensive pressure so far, having forced 84 turnovers through four games, their most in the first four games of a season in the last 20 years.
» Josh Jefferson (13.8) and Eli Lawrence (11.5) are averaging double digits in the scoring column heading to Cancun.
» Donovan Sims is 10th all-time in career steals at MT with 116. The Murfreesboro native needs 15 assists, nine 3-pointers made, 12 games played and 286 minutes to reach the top 10 in those respective categories. He is also 223 points from joining the 1,000-point club. An average of 8.2 points per game in all 31 games would get him to that mark in the regular season.
Scouting the Broncs
» Kevin Baggett is in his 11th season at the helm of the Broncs and 16th overall serving as an assistant on the previous staff.
» Rider finished 6-17 last season and is 2-3 to start the 2021-22 season after a loss to Buffalo in the Cancun Challenge.
» Senior Dwight Murray Jr. is leading the Broncs in scoring (17.4) and Senior Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson is bringing down 8.2 rebounds per game.
» Graduate Student Dimencio Vaughn is second on the team in both points (11.4) and rebounds per game (6.0).
» Through five games, Rider has kept the same starting lineup: Murray Jr, Vaughn, Allen Powell, Mervin James, and Ogemuno-Johnson.
» Eight of the 13 players on the Broncs' roster are upperclassmen, including all five starters.
Scouting the Bison
» Nathan Davis entered the season 17th among active Division I coaches in winning percentage (min. five years)
» Bucknell is coming off a loss in a barn-burning 105-100 decision at Illinois State.
» Andrew Funk leads Bucknell in scoring at 22.5 points per game.
Scouting the Bears
» Mercer comes to Cancun in search of its first Division I win of the season
» The Bears are led in scoring by Felipe Haase (18.0 ppg) and Neftali Alvarez (17.0).
» Haase leads the Southern Conference in field goal percentage at .649.
The games can be viewed on FloHoops.com. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast on WGNS 1450 AM/100.5 FM; The Game 2 94.9 FM/95.1 FM.
Middle Tennessee was down by 10 heading into halftime against Stephen F. Austin. The team showed resilience after the break, cutting the deficit down to one point with 13 minutes to go in the half. The Lumberjacks pulled away with just under five minutes left in the contest to seal the game.
The Blue Raiders were led by Josh Jefferson, who posted 23 points and was a perfect 14-14 from the free throw line. Guard Eli Lawrence contributed 18 points and added a season-high seven rebounds in the loss. Sophomore Camryn Weston also notched 12 points and six assists, which were both season highs.
Game 5: Middle Tennessee (3-1, 0-0 C-USA) vs. Rider (2-3, 0-0 MAAC)
» Tuesday, November 23, 2021 – 11:30 a.m. ET
» Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya – Cancun, Mexico
» Cancun Challenge Tournament
Game 6: Middle Tennessee vs. either Bucknell or Mercer
» Wednesday, November 24, 2021 – Time TBA
» Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya – Cancun, Mexico
» Cancun Challenge Tournament
About the Blue Raiders
» The Blue Raiders have brought the defensive pressure so far, having forced 84 turnovers through four games, their most in the first four games of a season in the last 20 years.
» Josh Jefferson (13.8) and Eli Lawrence (11.5) are averaging double digits in the scoring column heading to Cancun.
» Donovan Sims is 10th all-time in career steals at MT with 116. The Murfreesboro native needs 15 assists, nine 3-pointers made, 12 games played and 286 minutes to reach the top 10 in those respective categories. He is also 223 points from joining the 1,000-point club. An average of 8.2 points per game in all 31 games would get him to that mark in the regular season.
Scouting the Broncs
» Kevin Baggett is in his 11th season at the helm of the Broncs and 16th overall serving as an assistant on the previous staff.
» Rider finished 6-17 last season and is 2-3 to start the 2021-22 season after a loss to Buffalo in the Cancun Challenge.
» Senior Dwight Murray Jr. is leading the Broncs in scoring (17.4) and Senior Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson is bringing down 8.2 rebounds per game.
» Graduate Student Dimencio Vaughn is second on the team in both points (11.4) and rebounds per game (6.0).
» Through five games, Rider has kept the same starting lineup: Murray Jr, Vaughn, Allen Powell, Mervin James, and Ogemuno-Johnson.
» Eight of the 13 players on the Broncs' roster are upperclassmen, including all five starters.
Scouting the Bison
» Nathan Davis entered the season 17th among active Division I coaches in winning percentage (min. five years)
» Bucknell is coming off a loss in a barn-burning 105-100 decision at Illinois State.
» Andrew Funk leads Bucknell in scoring at 22.5 points per game.
Scouting the Bears
» Mercer comes to Cancun in search of its first Division I win of the season
» The Bears are led in scoring by Felipe Haase (18.0 ppg) and Neftali Alvarez (17.0).
» Haase leads the Southern Conference in field goal percentage at .649.
Players Mentioned
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