Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Thursday, February 17
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
vs
FIU
Lady Raiders welcome FIU and FAU
2/17/2022 9:59:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee's second go-around against conference opponents starts Thursday as the Lady Raiders host FIU at 6 p.m. and FAU at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
MT (17-5, 9-3 C-USA), who hasn't lost at home this season in nine games, is tied for third place in the Conference USA standings after splitting a pair of games last weekend while FIU (12-10, 4-7 C-USA) and Florida Atlantic (5-18, 1-11) are the bottom two teams in the eastern division.
Last time out - Feb. 13 at Charlotte (W, 46-45) RECAP
Anastasiia Boldyreva poured in a career-high 22 points, pulled six rebounds, and blocked three shots as the Blue Raiders edged the 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday. '
Middle Tennessee went on a 13-2 run to close the third quarter and led 38-29 entering the fourth frame.
Charlotte battled back and took a 45-42 lead on KeKe McKinney's 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining, but Boldyreva pulled the Lady Raiders to within 45-44 with 1:09 remaining.
Following a stop on the defensive end, Boldyreva came back with 5-footer to put Middle Tennessee back in front 46-45 with 1:09 remaining. Mikayla Boykin's potential game-winning jumper with two seconds remaining was off of the mark.
Kseniya Malashka added 11 points and three rebounds. Courtney Whitson supplied seven points and 10 rebounds.
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.
● Third in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage (24.3 percent).
● Twenty-fifth in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 55.4 points per game.
Offensively, MT is 12th in 3-point field goals per game (9.2) and 23rd in total 3-point field goals made (203). Whitson plays 38.2 minutes a game, which is the third-best in the country. Saar is tied for 23rd in 3-point field goals made (59).
Blue Raider notes
● Middle Tennessee has made 18 consecutive postseason appearances.
● MT is 114-34 vs. C-USA members since joining the league prior to the 2013-14 season.
● This season's roster includes five international players from five different countries.
● Anastasiia Boldyreva earned Conference USA Freshman of the Week for the second time in three weeks. The 6-foot-6 center averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and two blocks against ODU and Charlotte.
● Kseniya Malashka was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the second time this season on Jan. 31. Malashka averaged 21.5 points, five rebounds and two steals in the two games, while shooting a sizzling 64 percent (14-of-22) from the field, including 4-of-7 (57 percent) from 3-point range.
● Jalynn Gregory has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice. The Lafayette, Tenn. native is putting up 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
● MT's bench has been strong this season with the Lady Raider bench averaging 23.1 ppg., which is almost three times its average last season.
About FIU
Since edging the Blue Raiders 56-54 back on Jan. 15, FIU is 3-5 and has dropped three of its past four games. The Panthers are coming off a 70-66 win vs. Marshall Feb. 10.
FIU ranks third in the conference in steals per game with 10.32. Beyond the arc, FIU ranks fourth among C-USA schools in 3-point percentage, shooting 30.3 percent through 22 games.
Contributing to the efficiency is Kyla Nelson, who makes 2.4 3s per game, which is second in the conference behind Dor Saar's 2.7 average. Ariel Colón is the team's leading scorer at 12.5 points per game. She is shooting a team-best 45.7 percent from the field this season.
All-time series
● Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series, 32-10. Before the Jan. 15 loss, the Blue Raiders had won the last 15 meetings.
Previewing FAU
FAU has won just one game since Amanda Whittington's birthday daggar on Jan. 13. The Owls lone conference win in 12 games came in a 54-52 victory vs. UTEP Jan. 27.
FAU plays North Texas Feb. 17 before coming to Murfreesboro Saturday.
Opponents are outscoring FAU 64.3 to 60.5.
Four Owls average at least 11 points per game with Amber Gaston leading the team with 11.6 per game. Janeta Rozentale averages 11.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
All-time series
● Middle Tennessee holds a 28-1 advantage in the all-time series. It's only loss came on Feb. 21, 2009 in Boca Raton. Since then, MT has won 22 straight meetings.
Upcoming Promotions
Saturday is the program's annual Pink Night. The Lady Raiders will fashion special pink uniforms on the floor. Fans who wear pink to the game can purchase an $8 ticket at the box office. Saturday is also Alumni Appreciation and Girl Scout Day.
Options to follow the games
● Can't make it to the games? Thursday's game will air on ESPN+ while Saturday's game is set to stream on CUSA.TV. Listening options include WGNS 1450 AM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM or GoBlueRaiders.com/Watch.
● Fans can also follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
MT (17-5, 9-3 C-USA), who hasn't lost at home this season in nine games, is tied for third place in the Conference USA standings after splitting a pair of games last weekend while FIU (12-10, 4-7 C-USA) and Florida Atlantic (5-18, 1-11) are the bottom two teams in the eastern division.
Last time out - Feb. 13 at Charlotte (W, 46-45) RECAP
Anastasiia Boldyreva poured in a career-high 22 points, pulled six rebounds, and blocked three shots as the Blue Raiders edged the 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday. '
Middle Tennessee went on a 13-2 run to close the third quarter and led 38-29 entering the fourth frame.
Charlotte battled back and took a 45-42 lead on KeKe McKinney's 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining, but Boldyreva pulled the Lady Raiders to within 45-44 with 1:09 remaining.
Following a stop on the defensive end, Boldyreva came back with 5-footer to put Middle Tennessee back in front 46-45 with 1:09 remaining. Mikayla Boykin's potential game-winning jumper with two seconds remaining was off of the mark.
Kseniya Malashka added 11 points and three rebounds. Courtney Whitson supplied seven points and 10 rebounds.
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.
● Third in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage (24.3 percent).
● Twenty-fifth in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 55.4 points per game.
Offensively, MT is 12th in 3-point field goals per game (9.2) and 23rd in total 3-point field goals made (203). Whitson plays 38.2 minutes a game, which is the third-best in the country. Saar is tied for 23rd in 3-point field goals made (59).
Blue Raider notes
● Middle Tennessee has made 18 consecutive postseason appearances.
● MT is 114-34 vs. C-USA members since joining the league prior to the 2013-14 season.
● This season's roster includes five international players from five different countries.
● Anastasiia Boldyreva earned Conference USA Freshman of the Week for the second time in three weeks. The 6-foot-6 center averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and two blocks against ODU and Charlotte.
● Kseniya Malashka was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the second time this season on Jan. 31. Malashka averaged 21.5 points, five rebounds and two steals in the two games, while shooting a sizzling 64 percent (14-of-22) from the field, including 4-of-7 (57 percent) from 3-point range.
● Jalynn Gregory has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice. The Lafayette, Tenn. native is putting up 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
● MT's bench has been strong this season with the Lady Raider bench averaging 23.1 ppg., which is almost three times its average last season.
About FIU
Since edging the Blue Raiders 56-54 back on Jan. 15, FIU is 3-5 and has dropped three of its past four games. The Panthers are coming off a 70-66 win vs. Marshall Feb. 10.
FIU ranks third in the conference in steals per game with 10.32. Beyond the arc, FIU ranks fourth among C-USA schools in 3-point percentage, shooting 30.3 percent through 22 games.
Contributing to the efficiency is Kyla Nelson, who makes 2.4 3s per game, which is second in the conference behind Dor Saar's 2.7 average. Ariel Colón is the team's leading scorer at 12.5 points per game. She is shooting a team-best 45.7 percent from the field this season.
All-time series
● Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series, 32-10. Before the Jan. 15 loss, the Blue Raiders had won the last 15 meetings.
Previewing FAU
FAU has won just one game since Amanda Whittington's birthday daggar on Jan. 13. The Owls lone conference win in 12 games came in a 54-52 victory vs. UTEP Jan. 27.
FAU plays North Texas Feb. 17 before coming to Murfreesboro Saturday.
Opponents are outscoring FAU 64.3 to 60.5.
Four Owls average at least 11 points per game with Amber Gaston leading the team with 11.6 per game. Janeta Rozentale averages 11.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
All-time series
● Middle Tennessee holds a 28-1 advantage in the all-time series. It's only loss came on Feb. 21, 2009 in Boca Raton. Since then, MT has won 22 straight meetings.
Upcoming Promotions
Saturday is the program's annual Pink Night. The Lady Raiders will fashion special pink uniforms on the floor. Fans who wear pink to the game can purchase an $8 ticket at the box office. Saturday is also Alumni Appreciation and Girl Scout Day.
Options to follow the games
● Can't make it to the games? Thursday's game will air on ESPN+ while Saturday's game is set to stream on CUSA.TV. Listening options include WGNS 1450 AM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM or GoBlueRaiders.com/Watch.
● Fans can also follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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