Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, January 13
Boca Raton, Fla.
5:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
at
Florida Atlantic
Photo by: Matt Posey/MT Athletic Communications
FAU, FIU next up for Lady Raiders
1/12/2022 2:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Fresh off a weekend sweep of Rice and North Texas, Middle Tennessee women's basketball takes its momentum into the sunshine state.
The Lady Raiders (11-3, 3-1) are scheduled to face FAU (4-8, 0-1) Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. and FIU (8-4, 0-1) Jan. 15 at 11 a.m.
Last time out - Jan. 9 vs. North Texas (W, 80-52) RECAP
MT outscored North Texas 38-17 in the second half to stay a perfect 6-0 at home.
Dor Saar led all scorers with 23 points (5-for-8 from 3-point range). Courtney Blakely provided a spark off the bench, scoring 18 points and four assists. Alexis Whittington finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Lady Raiders shot 47.7 percent from the field in the win.
Putting Middle Tennessee on the map
How good has the Blue Raider defense been? The following is where Middle Tennessee ranks nationally in several categories.
Blue Raider notes
The Lady Raiders are 146-79 overall on the road under Head Coach Rick Insell. In C-USA play, Insell's teams are 50-15.
This season, MT is 5-3 in both away and neutral site games. Five of the first seven conference games are on the road.
Scouting FAU
Under first-year head coach Jennifer Sullivan, the Owls are 4-8 and lost their C-USA opener to Marshall 51-66.
The Owls won their first two games of the season but then dropped the next four and five of their next six. FAU ended the non-conference season by dropping two games at the FAU Pre-Christmas Tournament.
Amber Gaston leads FAU with 13.8 points per game, including a 54.4 field goal percentage. She is one of four owls averaging double digits in scoring this season as Alexa Zaph, Janeta Rozentale and Rita Pleskevich combine to score 48.5 of FAU's 66.6 points per game.
All-time series
FIU enters the weekend winning four of its past five games. The Panthers have suffered close losses including against George Mason (67-69), vs. Jacksonville (33-35) and Georgia Southern (74-81).
FIU has played in low scoring games all season, holding opponents to 57.8 points per game while scoring 65.6. The Panthers are third in C-USA in both steals (10.75) and 3-point field goals made (7.42) per game.
Ariel Colon is the team leader in points as she averages 13.1 per game. Kyla Nelson scores 11.8 points per game. Three Panthers have at least 20 steals this season.
Jesyka Burks-Wiley is 23-17 in her first two years as FIU's head coach. FIU will face UAB on Jan. 13.
All-time series
Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series, 32-9. The Blue Raiders have won the last 15 meetings.
Options to follow the game
The Lady Raiders (11-3, 3-1) are scheduled to face FAU (4-8, 0-1) Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. and FIU (8-4, 0-1) Jan. 15 at 11 a.m.
Last time out - Jan. 9 vs. North Texas (W, 80-52) RECAP
MT outscored North Texas 38-17 in the second half to stay a perfect 6-0 at home.
Dor Saar led all scorers with 23 points (5-for-8 from 3-point range). Courtney Blakely provided a spark off the bench, scoring 18 points and four assists. Alexis Whittington finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Lady Raiders shot 47.7 percent from the field in the win.
Putting Middle Tennessee on the map
How good has the Blue Raider defense been? The following is where Middle Tennessee ranks nationally in several categories.
- Ninth in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage (23.9 percent).
- Tied for 28th in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 55.1 points per game.
- Alexis Whittington is tied for 38th in the country in steals with 35.
Blue Raider notes
- Middle Tennessee has made 18 consecutive postseason appearances.
- This season's roster includes five international players from five different countries.
- Five of the 11 non-conference opponents were NCAA Tournament teams last season: VCU, Marquette, Mercer, Troy and Belmont. MT went 8-2 in the non-conference portion of the season.
- Kseniya Malashka was named Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 10. Malashka played a significant role in the wins vs. Rice and North Texas by averaging 17.5 points, three blocks, 2.5 steals and four rebounds over the weekend.
- Jalynn Gregory has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice. The Lafayette, Tenn. native is putting up 11.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, including scoring double figures in six of her last seven games.
- The Lady Raiders held five of their first seven opponents, including their first four, to less than 50 points, marking the only time in program history that a MT team has held four straight foes to less than 50 points during any stretch.
- MT's bench has been strong this season with the Lady Raider bench averaging 18.8 ppg., which is almost three times its average last season.
The Lady Raiders are 146-79 overall on the road under Head Coach Rick Insell. In C-USA play, Insell's teams are 50-15.
This season, MT is 5-3 in both away and neutral site games. Five of the first seven conference games are on the road.
Scouting FAU
Under first-year head coach Jennifer Sullivan, the Owls are 4-8 and lost their C-USA opener to Marshall 51-66.
The Owls won their first two games of the season but then dropped the next four and five of their next six. FAU ended the non-conference season by dropping two games at the FAU Pre-Christmas Tournament.
Amber Gaston leads FAU with 13.8 points per game, including a 54.4 field goal percentage. She is one of four owls averaging double digits in scoring this season as Alexa Zaph, Janeta Rozentale and Rita Pleskevich combine to score 48.5 of FAU's 66.6 points per game.
All-time series
- Middle Tennessee holds a 27-1 advantage all time vs. FAU. It's only loss came on Feb. 21, 2009 in Boca Raton. Since then, MT has won 21 straight games vs. the Owls.
FIU enters the weekend winning four of its past five games. The Panthers have suffered close losses including against George Mason (67-69), vs. Jacksonville (33-35) and Georgia Southern (74-81).
FIU has played in low scoring games all season, holding opponents to 57.8 points per game while scoring 65.6. The Panthers are third in C-USA in both steals (10.75) and 3-point field goals made (7.42) per game.
Ariel Colon is the team leader in points as she averages 13.1 per game. Kyla Nelson scores 11.8 points per game. Three Panthers have at least 20 steals this season.
Jesyka Burks-Wiley is 23-17 in her first two years as FIU's head coach. FIU will face UAB on Jan. 13.
All-time series
Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series, 32-9. The Blue Raiders have won the last 15 meetings.
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