Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Tuesday, November 15
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6 PM
Middle Tennessee
-21,10 CUSA
81
vs
46
Rice
-12,01 CUSA
1
2
F
Rice
18
28
46
Middle Tenn.
44
37
81
Middle Tennessee Defeathers Rice to Open C-USA Play
11/15/2022 9:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Blue Raiders held Rice to just 33 percent shooting in the first half
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee men's basketball blitzed Rice on both ends of the court on Tuesday night, suffocating the Owls with their defense and raining in long-range shots to dominate the 2022-23 C-USA Opener 81-46 in the Murphy Center.
After hitting the first media timeout of the first half down 2-0, MTSU would go on a 14-point scoring run, eventually leading by as many as 30 points in the first half, taking a 44-18 advantage into the locker room at the break. After missing their first five shots from the field, including three from beyond the arc, MTSU would make 17-of-24 shots the rest of the half, including a 9-for-11 clip for three.
The Blue Raiders (2-1, 1-0 C-USA) were dominant defensively all night, holding the Owls (1-2, 0-1 C-USA) to just 14.3 percent (2-for-14) beyond the arc, outrebounding Rice 35-25. Rice turned the ball over 18 times, resulting in 24 points for MTSU.
Eli Lawrence led all scorers with 16 points, only missing one shot all night to finish the evening 6-for-7, including 4-for-5 for three. The junior guard also added four rebounds and three assists. TreVon Smith was key off the bench, scoring 14 points with five rebounds at guard. Christian Fussell and Teafale Lenard paced MTSU in passing, diming out four assists apiece in the win, a career high for each.
By the Numbers
81.8 percent: After the Under-16 media timeout in the first half at the 15:59 mark, MTSU was 0-for-3 from three. The final 16 minutes of the half, the Blue Raiders shot 81.8 percent from beyond the arc to help power the team to a 26-point halftime lead.
35: The 36-point margin in the 81-46 is the largest margin MTSU has won in a conference game since defeating Marshall by 39 points, 90-51 in at the Murphy Center on February 19, 2015.
20:10: The 2-for-1 assist to turnover ratio is the best for the Blue Raiders since MTSU won the C-USA East Division title in 2022 against Western Kentucky, 69-52. The Blue Raiders also dished out 20 assists with only 10 turnovers against the Hilltoppers.
Blue Raider Notes
Thoughts from Head Coach Nick McDevitt
"I was really proud of our team. It was a heck of a performance, really on both sides of the ball. And I thought we stayed locked in and disciplined once we got a working margin in the game. You can tend to get really sloppy in those moments. Try to go for steals, try to go for blocks, take ill-advised shots. It may not cost you this game, but it can cost you in the next. I was really pleased with how locked in we stayed from start to finish.
"Tremendous on the defensive end guarding the three point line. They've got a lot of guys that can really shoot it. They've taken 70 threes in two games coming in. We were able to hold them to only 14 attempts with two makes. That's really where we were locked in on that end. Any time you can assist almost 70 percent of your baskets, 20 assists on 29 made shots, the ball's moving around."
Player's Perspective – Eli Lawrence
"When we played Saturday, spacing was a problem. So over the last few days, we just worked on spacing, really screening bodies, getting people open. Running our offense the way we're really supposed to run it."
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will hit the road once again this weekend, traveling to Missouri State on Saturday for a non-conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (//MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
After hitting the first media timeout of the first half down 2-0, MTSU would go on a 14-point scoring run, eventually leading by as many as 30 points in the first half, taking a 44-18 advantage into the locker room at the break. After missing their first five shots from the field, including three from beyond the arc, MTSU would make 17-of-24 shots the rest of the half, including a 9-for-11 clip for three.
The Blue Raiders (2-1, 1-0 C-USA) were dominant defensively all night, holding the Owls (1-2, 0-1 C-USA) to just 14.3 percent (2-for-14) beyond the arc, outrebounding Rice 35-25. Rice turned the ball over 18 times, resulting in 24 points for MTSU.
Eli Lawrence led all scorers with 16 points, only missing one shot all night to finish the evening 6-for-7, including 4-for-5 for three. The junior guard also added four rebounds and three assists. TreVon Smith was key off the bench, scoring 14 points with five rebounds at guard. Christian Fussell and Teafale Lenard paced MTSU in passing, diming out four assists apiece in the win, a career high for each.
By the Numbers
81.8 percent: After the Under-16 media timeout in the first half at the 15:59 mark, MTSU was 0-for-3 from three. The final 16 minutes of the half, the Blue Raiders shot 81.8 percent from beyond the arc to help power the team to a 26-point halftime lead.
35: The 36-point margin in the 81-46 is the largest margin MTSU has won in a conference game since defeating Marshall by 39 points, 90-51 in at the Murphy Center on February 19, 2015.
20:10: The 2-for-1 assist to turnover ratio is the best for the Blue Raiders since MTSU won the C-USA East Division title in 2022 against Western Kentucky, 69-52. The Blue Raiders also dished out 20 assists with only 10 turnovers against the Hilltoppers.
Blue Raider Notes
- Middle Tennessee won its 19th straight home game.
- The Blue Raiders' 35-point margin of victory was its largest in a conference opener since the 1986-87 season, when it defeated Tennessee Tech 114-79.
- MTSU won its 12th straight game played on a Tuesday, dating back to the 2015-16 season.
- TreVon Smith's 14 points were a career high.
Thoughts from Head Coach Nick McDevitt
"I was really proud of our team. It was a heck of a performance, really on both sides of the ball. And I thought we stayed locked in and disciplined once we got a working margin in the game. You can tend to get really sloppy in those moments. Try to go for steals, try to go for blocks, take ill-advised shots. It may not cost you this game, but it can cost you in the next. I was really pleased with how locked in we stayed from start to finish.
"Tremendous on the defensive end guarding the three point line. They've got a lot of guys that can really shoot it. They've taken 70 threes in two games coming in. We were able to hold them to only 14 attempts with two makes. That's really where we were locked in on that end. Any time you can assist almost 70 percent of your baskets, 20 assists on 29 made shots, the ball's moving around."
Player's Perspective – Eli Lawrence
"When we played Saturday, spacing was a problem. So over the last few days, we just worked on spacing, really screening bodies, getting people open. Running our offense the way we're really supposed to run it."
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will hit the road once again this weekend, traveling to Missouri State on Saturday for a non-conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (//MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
Team Stats
Rice
MTSU
FG%
.395
.518
3FG%
.143
.500
FT%
.625
.556
RB
25
35
TO
18
10
STL
3
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
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