Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Cumberlands (Exh.)
Lady Raiders roll past Patriots 103-53 in final exhibition
10/30/2023 9:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Final dress rehearsal goes smoothly ahead of the season opener next Monday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee women's basketball showcased their offensive firepower on Monday in the Murphy Center, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from three on the way to a dominant 103-53 win of the University of the Cumberlands in the Lady Raiders' final exhibition of the 2023-24 season.
Anastasiia Boldyreva and Jalynn Gregory led all scorers with 24 points each, with Gregory making six three-pointers and Boldreva shooting 71.4 percent from the floor. Savannah Wheeler recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists while also adding in six rebounds.
Defensively, MTSU held the Patriots to just 36.8 percent shooting from the field, forcing UC into 22 turnovers, while scoring 29 points off of said turnovers. Ta'Mia Scott and Courtney Whitson led the way on defense with four steals apiece.
Middle Tennessee took a 44-23 lead into the locker room at halftime on the strength of their second quarter defense, holding the Patriots to just eight points in the frame. The fourth quarter was MTSU's best offensive performance of the night, as the Lady Raiders made 11-of-12 shots, including 5-of-6 three-pointers, to reach the lofty 50-point margin of victory.
By the Numbers
4: Lady Raider starters in double figures scoring on Monday night. Boldyreva, Gregory, Wheeler and Whitson all finished the night with at least 15 points.
52: Points in the paint for MTSU. The Lady Raiders made good use of their additional size in the post against their NAIA foe, both in working the ball to their post players and in attacking the rim off the drive.
25: Total assists for MTSU on Monday. The Lady Raiders assisted on 62.5 percent of their made baskets against the Patriots.
Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Insell
"I'm real proud of our players. We knew that they were going to play a lot of people. We knew that they were pretty good shooters. They had a very successful year last year and they had everybody coming back and were recruiting good. So we knew it was going to be a tough game. We knew we had size on them and we've also got some good shooters.
"I think you saw that tonight. I was real pleased with the way we executed our offenses. I was real pleased with our defensive effort."
Up Next
The Lady Raiders open the 2023-24 season at home next Monday, taking on in-state foe Memphis on November 6 in the Glass House. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Follow the Lady Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTSUWBB), X (Formerly known as Twitter) (@MT_WBB) and Instagram (@mt_wbb).
