Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Traditions, new and old, mark first men’s and women’s basketball double feature of 2022-23
11/18/2022 9:59:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, BRAA
The Blue Raiders and the Lady Raiders dominated in the Glass House in two important games
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Chants of "M-T-S-U" rang out across the glass and bleachers of the Murphy Center. Blue Raider and Lady Raider fans both went home with coupons, via their ticket stubs, for Wendy's Frosties (thanks to a pair of missed free throws from Rice's Andrew Akuchie and Belmont's Kilyn McGuff).
The Owls and Bruins combined to shoot just 40 percent from the floor, and 28 percent from three. The two MTSU teams scored a combined 45 points off of their turnovers. And the Blue Raiders and the Lady Raiders, on back-to-back nights, picked up big wins in the Glass House.
What a week it was to have MTSU Basketball back again.
"I was really proud of our team," Head Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt said after Tuesday night's 81-46 win over Rice. "It was a heck of a performance, really on both sides of the ball."
"I'll have to compliment my staff," Head Women's Basketball Coach Rick Insell said after Wednesday night's win over Belmont. "Matt (Insell) had the scout, Tom Hodges worked hard behind the scene on analytics. Kim (Brewton) and Nina (Davis) was in on the scout helping Matt, the staff is responsible for today."
It was a strange set of games in some ways. The earliest D-I conference game in the country on Tuesday night, a product of the 20-game C-USA schedule this season. An in-state battle with two of the top mid major teams in the country, let alone the state of Tennessee, on Wednesday night. Both 6 p.m. tipoffs. All four teams clearly still trying to find their identities in November.
Luckily for the MTSU fans in Murfreesboro, the home teams clearly figured out what will always work: defense.
Wednesday night, facing one of the top guards in the entire country, Destinee Wells, a Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List this year, Alexis Whittington made her just the latest victim to her torture chamber. Coming into Wednesday averaging 20 points a game, Wells did not attempt a single shot in the first half. She finished the night only attempting three, the same number as the number of turnovers she had. Wells finished with just five points.
"I came in there thinking that the team runs around her," Whittington said. "If she doesn't get going, the team's going to have to find another way to score."
It wasn't just herself, Whittington noted. Her teammates, particularly Courtney Whitson and Kseniya Malashka in the post, were key in shutting down the high ball screens Belmont used to run their offense through Wells. Something the team had keyed in on over the week in practice.
"That's their heart," Insell said of Wells. "If you take the heart out, the rest of them have to step up and do some things, it kind of hurt them."
The night prior, the men's team had a similar defensive effort, holding a Rice team that averaged 35 three-point attempts a game to just 14 on Tuesday by denying them any opportunity to run their offense. Face guarding, tipping passes cross court, denying the Owls the ability to drive. And of course, pressing pretty much the entire game, tiring out a Rice team that looked lethargic late in the shot clock far too often for their coach's liking.
"Just pressuring, trying to make sure we stay tight," forward DeAndre Dishman said of the defensive plan. "They were trying to get a three off the screen, so we made sure to stay tight and take that away."
It was perhaps the first flash of how good the Blue Raiders' defense could be this season, forcing twice as many turnovers as they allowed assists to the Owls.
"Elite's a different category, but that's where we can strive to be," McDevitt said. "We've got good team length."
Offensively, the Blue Raiders won with outside shooting, a 4-for-5 night from three for Eli Lawrence, a 2-for-3 night from beyond the arc for Tyler Millin, Camryn Weston and Elias King, finishing the night shooting 50 percent as a team from deep.
The Lady Raiders, meanwhile, took it the hole, scoring 46 points in the paint with Malashka and Savannah Wheeler leading the way inside.
"If something's not going good, you've still got to find other ways to produce individually," Wheeler said. "If my threes weren't falling, I want to come off the ball screen, draw the defense, and look for the dump to post players."
The result for both teams, however, was practically the same. The Lady Raiders earned a victory against a Belmont team that was receiving votes in this week's AP Poll, setting themselves up to continue momentum into Las Vegas for their Thanksgiving Invitational over the holiday break.
"Let me tell you something: We won't be shooting no craps or playing cards, we're going to be there studying film," Insell said. "Kids will be going to a show or two. But we'll be getting ready for Texas Tech and Missouri State."
For the Blue Raiders, they'll get a chance to stand alone atop the C-USA standings for at least a month, perhaps even longer.
"It looks good on the standings, but we're never satisfied," Lawrence said. "There's plenty of good teams in this league."
There's plenty of work ahead. You hope your team isn't a finished product in February, let alone November. But early results in the Glass House show both teams have defenses that can travel, a tradition with a rich history in the halls of the Murphy Center.
But it's always nice to add free Frosties for a new tradition.
The Owls and Bruins combined to shoot just 40 percent from the floor, and 28 percent from three. The two MTSU teams scored a combined 45 points off of their turnovers. And the Blue Raiders and the Lady Raiders, on back-to-back nights, picked up big wins in the Glass House.
What a week it was to have MTSU Basketball back again.
"I was really proud of our team," Head Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt said after Tuesday night's 81-46 win over Rice. "It was a heck of a performance, really on both sides of the ball."
"I'll have to compliment my staff," Head Women's Basketball Coach Rick Insell said after Wednesday night's win over Belmont. "Matt (Insell) had the scout, Tom Hodges worked hard behind the scene on analytics. Kim (Brewton) and Nina (Davis) was in on the scout helping Matt, the staff is responsible for today."
It was a strange set of games in some ways. The earliest D-I conference game in the country on Tuesday night, a product of the 20-game C-USA schedule this season. An in-state battle with two of the top mid major teams in the country, let alone the state of Tennessee, on Wednesday night. Both 6 p.m. tipoffs. All four teams clearly still trying to find their identities in November.
Luckily for the MTSU fans in Murfreesboro, the home teams clearly figured out what will always work: defense.
Wednesday night, facing one of the top guards in the entire country, Destinee Wells, a Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List this year, Alexis Whittington made her just the latest victim to her torture chamber. Coming into Wednesday averaging 20 points a game, Wells did not attempt a single shot in the first half. She finished the night only attempting three, the same number as the number of turnovers she had. Wells finished with just five points.
"I came in there thinking that the team runs around her," Whittington said. "If she doesn't get going, the team's going to have to find another way to score."
It wasn't just herself, Whittington noted. Her teammates, particularly Courtney Whitson and Kseniya Malashka in the post, were key in shutting down the high ball screens Belmont used to run their offense through Wells. Something the team had keyed in on over the week in practice.
"That's their heart," Insell said of Wells. "If you take the heart out, the rest of them have to step up and do some things, it kind of hurt them."
The night prior, the men's team had a similar defensive effort, holding a Rice team that averaged 35 three-point attempts a game to just 14 on Tuesday by denying them any opportunity to run their offense. Face guarding, tipping passes cross court, denying the Owls the ability to drive. And of course, pressing pretty much the entire game, tiring out a Rice team that looked lethargic late in the shot clock far too often for their coach's liking.
"Just pressuring, trying to make sure we stay tight," forward DeAndre Dishman said of the defensive plan. "They were trying to get a three off the screen, so we made sure to stay tight and take that away."
It was perhaps the first flash of how good the Blue Raiders' defense could be this season, forcing twice as many turnovers as they allowed assists to the Owls.
"Elite's a different category, but that's where we can strive to be," McDevitt said. "We've got good team length."
Offensively, the Blue Raiders won with outside shooting, a 4-for-5 night from three for Eli Lawrence, a 2-for-3 night from beyond the arc for Tyler Millin, Camryn Weston and Elias King, finishing the night shooting 50 percent as a team from deep.
The Lady Raiders, meanwhile, took it the hole, scoring 46 points in the paint with Malashka and Savannah Wheeler leading the way inside.
"If something's not going good, you've still got to find other ways to produce individually," Wheeler said. "If my threes weren't falling, I want to come off the ball screen, draw the defense, and look for the dump to post players."
The result for both teams, however, was practically the same. The Lady Raiders earned a victory against a Belmont team that was receiving votes in this week's AP Poll, setting themselves up to continue momentum into Las Vegas for their Thanksgiving Invitational over the holiday break.
"Let me tell you something: We won't be shooting no craps or playing cards, we're going to be there studying film," Insell said. "Kids will be going to a show or two. But we'll be getting ready for Texas Tech and Missouri State."
For the Blue Raiders, they'll get a chance to stand alone atop the C-USA standings for at least a month, perhaps even longer.
"It looks good on the standings, but we're never satisfied," Lawrence said. "There's plenty of good teams in this league."
There's plenty of work ahead. You hope your team isn't a finished product in February, let alone November. But early results in the Glass House show both teams have defenses that can travel, a tradition with a rich history in the halls of the Murphy Center.
But it's always nice to add free Frosties for a new tradition.
Players Mentioned
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