Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Men’s Basketball Readies for Three Games in the Glass House
2/21/2022 5:00:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, BRAA, Track & Field/Cross Country
The Blue Raiders are coming into tonight's game against UTEP riding a five-game win streak, which started two Mondays ago with a win over UTSA. A home weekend sweep of ODU and Charlotte, followed by last weekend's road sweep in the Sunshine State of FAU and FIU.
And let me tell you, if you like dunks, you should check out some of the highlights of MT's 87-79 win over FAU on Saturday.
That's how you start a second half! 👊
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) February 19, 2022
2H | 17:07
MT 48, FAU 43#MT ✘ @EliLawrence_12 pic.twitter.com/CuFf9wQXZh
𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐎𝐅𝐅 @TeafaleJ ✈️
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) February 19, 2022
2H | 11:08
MT 56, FAU 53 pic.twitter.com/e7QB6afmdF
As for this week's slate of games, MT has a plethora of promotions for this week's games, starting with tonight against UTEP, where all Rutherford County School and Murfreesboro City Schools students getting in FREE, as well as all Military Personnel with the presentation of a Military ID at the Box Office for Military Appreciation night.
Monday's game is also a BLACKOUT. The first 250 students in attendance will get a free t-shirt and have the chance to win MT Nike gear and a set of AirPods.
STUDENTS: Come be loud and proud tomorrow night, get a T-shirt and have a chance to win some prizes as we take on UTEP! pic.twitter.com/Gw4tdKfil5
— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) February 21, 2022
And looking ahead to Saturday's Senior Night against WKU, the theme will be Blueout with MT rocking All-Blue jerseys. A big crowd is expected, so show up early in your MT Blue and be loud!
Women's Basketball Earns another Weekend Sweep
The Lady Raiders continued their home dominance over the weekend with a Florida sweep of their own, dismantling FIU and FAU in back-to-back games in the Glass House.
Saturday's opening barrage of three-pointers, where MT hit seven of their first nine three-point attempts to set the tone early en route to a 72-49 victory in the team's annual Pink Out game.
Q1 (5:34) | Another @Alexisw_23 three pushes the Lady Raider lead to 12-6!#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/PEd8tMKjWy
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) February 19, 2022
Gonna need an ☔️ in here pretty soon.#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/anoPJPxvSm
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) February 19, 2022
Capped the weekend off with 𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 win in the Glass House👌#BlueRaiders | #MT pic.twitter.com/ZTdboy4m0S
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) February 21, 2022
The Lady Raiders are on the road as they continue to fight Charlotte for the top spot in the C-USA East, with games at Marshall and WKU on tap for them before they return home for two final home games next week.
Coaches' Shows Rescheduled for Tuesday
As a result of the make-up men's basketball game with UTEP tonight, Rick Insell Live and Nick McDevitt Live will move from their usual Monday nighttime slot to Tuesday night.
Tuesday's shows are the penultimate shows of the season, with the final 2022 edition of both Rick Insell Live and Nick McDevitt Live next Monday at the Boulevard.
Track and Field all over the podium at C-USA Championships
Middle Tennessee men's and women's track & field came up just short over the weekend in Birmingham, Ala., with both teams finishing second in the overall standings after two days of competition.
In total, the two teams earned 23 medals across 17 events, 16 of them gold, during the course of the weekend, led by Eusila Chepkemei and Alaba Akintola, who were the high point scorers in the meet for the women and men respectively.
Chepkemei became the first female in Conference USA history to sweep the 800-meter, mile, and 3000-meter in her incredible weekend, scoring 40 of MT's 91 total points in the meet. Akintola, who also won Freshman of the Meet, erasing a 17-year-old record in the men's 200 meter with a time of 20.72 seconds. He also clocked 6.72 seconds on his way to a first-place finish in the men's 60 meter, accounting for 20 points for the Blue Raiders.
2022 #CUSATF Women's High Point Scorer of the Meet!
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) February 20, 2022
🏅 Eusila Chepkemei 🏅 pic.twitter.com/TgeMhQHPIh
2022 #CUSATF Men's High Point Scorer and Freshman of the Meet!
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) February 20, 2022
🏅 Alaba Akintola 🏅 pic.twitter.com/VvPEx6NEqV
In all, 13 Blue Raiders were honored with All-Conference awards at the end of the meet, including 12 Blue Raiders on the First Team. Check all of them on the linked twitter thread.
The #BlueRaiders received a total of 2⃣3⃣ medals over the two-day Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship!
— MT XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) February 21, 2022
16: 🥇, 3: 🥈, 4: 🥉
Here's your All-Conference USA members ⤵️
The team support is always high within the program, as Benjamin Onyekwelu shared on his instagram of the weekend. Onyekwelu took home gold in the long jump linked in the first post below.
Men's Tennis gets to FIVE Power 5 wins in 2022
Blue Raider Men's Tennis kept rolling over the weekend, earning two big Power 5 wins to improve to 11-3 this season and set themselves up well ahead of this weekend's Blue Gray Championships in Montgomery, Ala.
On Friday at the Adams Tennis Center, Middle Tennessee earned their first win over a Top 25 program since 2006, when they triumphed over No. 24 Auburn 4-2. Francisco Rocha and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen set the tone early by securing the doubles point on Court 1 against Finn Murgett and Tad Maclean, who were the finalists in the NCAA Doubles Championship a season ago.
Pavel Motl won on Court 6 with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to give MT it's fourth point and earn the victory in front of a packed ATC crowd.
Last night was fun 🤩#BlueRaiders | 🎥: @ReedSellers1 pic.twitter.com/PvixCbYowT
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) February 19, 2022
Then after a quick flight to East Lansing, MT defeated Michigan State 5-2 on the road, giving head coach Jimmy Borendame his 200th career win as a head coach.
Congratulations to @CoachJimmyB for earning his 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝐭𝐡 career victory as a head coach in the win over Michigan State! 🎉#BlueRaiders | #Superb pic.twitter.com/q9jFn3ATaa
— MT Men's Tennis (@MT_MensTennis) February 20, 2022
Thanks 🙏🏽, lots of great Assistant Coaches, student-athletes, Trainers, Strength Coaches, Administrators and SID's along the way that did all the heavy lifting! Just one spoke in the wheel. More work to be done ✅ #KATN #GSD
— Jimmy Borendame (@CoachJimmyB) February 20, 2022
Women's Tennis gets two crucial home wins over the weekend
Coach Tayo Bailey-Duvall's women's tennis team found their footing over the weekend, taking two home matches against Samford and Ball State to improve to 8-6 on the year. MT has won five of their last six matches, setting themselves up for nine straight matches on the road before facing UAB on April 16 at the ATC just before C-USA Tournament play.
"I am very proud of the girls' performance today and this weekend overall," Bailey-Duvall said after the team's win over Ball State on Sunday. "We have been working very hard on mental toughness and playing strategically smart, and today they all showed great growth in those areas."
Fresh off a 6-1 home win on Friday, it's MATCH DAY for @MT_WomensTennis again at the Adams Tennis Complex!
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) February 20, 2022
The #BlueRaiders face Ball State at noon and admission is always free at the ATC! pic.twitter.com/tmaOLS7VOW
Revenge Szn 😎#BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/tYzLtfh6G5
— MT Women's Tennis (@MT_WomensTennis) February 20, 2022
MT Athletics continues to honor Coach Hayes
Eagle-eyed Blue Raiders might've noticed some patches on MT uniforms across the department over the last few weeks. Patches on the shoulder of the basketball team's uniforms and the helmets of the baseball and softball teams is just a small recognition of the late coach's legacy here in Murfreesboro.
The Middle Tennessee Athletics community lost a legend last month, but he'll never be forgotten. Our teams are wearing special patches for the rest of the season to honor Coach Dean Hayes, his historic career, and his monumental impact. pic.twitter.com/YCiPrVbtFM
— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) February 20, 2022
It's always bigger than softball. Middle Tennessee is family.#BlueRaiders | ⚡️⬆️ pic.twitter.com/y7WJAMJIR9
— MT Softball (@MT_Softball) February 21, 2022
Players Mentioned
