Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
No. 23 Lady Raiders Ride Winning Streak Into Matchup With FIU
1/27/2023 3:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.— No. 23 Middle Tennessee women's basketball's Conference USA-leading scoring offense and scoring defense prepares for a Saturday matinee against FIU. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the Murphy Center.
Tickets are available for purchase at goblueraiders.com/tickets or by calling the Blue Raider Ticket office at 615-898-5261. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Network.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 23 Middle Tennessee women's basketball held Florida Atlantic to just 14 points in the first half, suffocating the Owls on defense en route to a 63-48 win on Thursday night at the Murphy Center.
The Lady Raiders (17-2, 10-0 C-USA) led by as many as 27 points in the second quarter after turning the Owls (11-8, 4-6) over 13 times in the first half, 10 times on MTSU steals, resulting in 14 points off of FAU turnovers. The Lady Raiders took advantage of a plethora of opportunities at the free throw line in the game's first 20 minutes, knocking down all 11 of their first half free throw attempts, including an 8-for-8 clip from Savannah Wheeler.
A third quarter run from the Owls threatened to make things a game late, but MTSU would ultimately lead wire-to-wire. Kseniya Malashka's 12 fourth quarter points led a bounce-back final frame.
Malashka, who drew eight of FAU's 20 fouls on Thursday, led all scorers with 25 points, carving up the interior of the Owl defense with a plethora of post moves. Wheeler was not far behind, finishing the evening with 16 points, all scored in the first half. Courtney Whitson recorded a season-high four steals, with Wheeler and Gregory nearly matching with three steals apiece.
ON THE COURT
Overall Stat Leaders:
Points - Kseniya Malashka (16.7 PPG)
Rebounds - Courtney Whitson (8.1 RPG)
Assists - Savannah Wheeler (3.5 APG)
Steals - Jalynn Gregory (1.8 SPG)
LADY RAIDER NOTES
PREPARING FOR THE PANTHERS
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Hoops for Troops takes place Saturday at the Murphy Center. All veterans, active duty service members and their families receive $8 tickets at the box office starting at 11:30 a.m. The first 250 students can pick up Middle Tennessee beanies behind section S. The first 500 fans can pick up Middle Tennessee camouflage lanyards behind sections P and D.
Tickets are available for purchase at goblueraiders.com/tickets or by calling the Blue Raider Ticket office at 615-898-5261. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Network.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 23 Middle Tennessee women's basketball held Florida Atlantic to just 14 points in the first half, suffocating the Owls on defense en route to a 63-48 win on Thursday night at the Murphy Center.
The Lady Raiders (17-2, 10-0 C-USA) led by as many as 27 points in the second quarter after turning the Owls (11-8, 4-6) over 13 times in the first half, 10 times on MTSU steals, resulting in 14 points off of FAU turnovers. The Lady Raiders took advantage of a plethora of opportunities at the free throw line in the game's first 20 minutes, knocking down all 11 of their first half free throw attempts, including an 8-for-8 clip from Savannah Wheeler.
A third quarter run from the Owls threatened to make things a game late, but MTSU would ultimately lead wire-to-wire. Kseniya Malashka's 12 fourth quarter points led a bounce-back final frame.
Malashka, who drew eight of FAU's 20 fouls on Thursday, led all scorers with 25 points, carving up the interior of the Owl defense with a plethora of post moves. Wheeler was not far behind, finishing the evening with 16 points, all scored in the first half. Courtney Whitson recorded a season-high four steals, with Wheeler and Gregory nearly matching with three steals apiece.
ON THE COURT
Overall Stat Leaders:
Points - Kseniya Malashka (16.7 PPG)
Rebounds - Courtney Whitson (8.1 RPG)
Assists - Savannah Wheeler (3.5 APG)
Steals - Jalynn Gregory (1.8 SPG)
LADY RAIDER NOTES
- With the nation's third longest active winning streak of 15 games and a 3-0 record last week considered, NCAA.com and USBWA both recognized the Lady Raiders as their team of the week Jan. 24.
- Rick Insell was named ESPN.com's Coach of the Week in its weekly college women's basketball roundup Monday.
- Junior guard Savannah Wheeler was named Conference USA Player of the Week for the second time this season and the third time in her career Jan. 23. Wheeler, who reached 1,500 career points Jan. 19 at Charlotte, averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and one steal in Middle Tennessee's 3-0 week, including a season-high 29 points vs. Louisiana Tech Jan. 21.
- Middle Tennessee has won 27 straight regular season games at the Glass House. The Lady Raiders have also won 16 of their last 17 regular season games vs. Conference USA opponents.
- Kseniya Malashka posted her sixth 20-plus point game Thursday vs. Florida Atlantic. Malashka, who also finished with three blocks and three rebounds, ranks 24th in the nation with 37 blocks.
- Middle Tennessee leads all of Conference USA and ranks ninth in the nation with a 19.5 scoring margin. In their 17 wins, the Lady Raiders are averaging a 22.1 point differential.
- The Lady Raider defense has stepped up in a big way this season. When it comes to opponent two-point field goal percentage, Middle Tennessee ranks fifth (37 percent) behind Notre Dame, LSU, Stanford and South Carolina.
PREPARING FOR THE PANTHERS
- FIU currently sits tied for fifth place in the C-USA standings. After a 3-0 start to conference play, the Panthers lost their next three games. Following two wins last week at home vs. UTEP and UTSA, FIU fell to WKU Jan. 26.
- FIU's biggest strength is rebounding, where it leads C-USA in rebounds per game (41.4) and offensive rebounds per game (16.3). The Panthers rank second in turnovers forced per game (20.2).
- Tanajah Hayes' 2.7 steals per game leads all of Conference USA. Offensively, Kaliah Henderson comes off the bench and averages 13.8 points per game and Sifa Joyeuse is averaging 11.2 points per contest.
- Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series 33-10 over FIU. The Lady Raiders split the two matchups vs. the Panthers last season, winning at home 63-49 on Feb. 17, 2022 and falling on the road, 54-56, Jan. 15, 2022. MTSU has won 16 of the last 17 meetings.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Hoops for Troops takes place Saturday at the Murphy Center. All veterans, active duty service members and their families receive $8 tickets at the box office starting at 11:30 a.m. The first 250 students can pick up Middle Tennessee beanies behind section S. The first 500 fans can pick up Middle Tennessee camouflage lanyards behind sections P and D.
Players Mentioned
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