Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, February 9
Murfreesboro, TN
6 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
-194,122 CUSA
94
vs
81
WKU
-1310,104 CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Western Ky.
22
20
24
15
81
Middle Tenn.
21
28
20
25
94
Team Stats
WestKy
MTSU
FG%
.475
.554
3FG%
.500
.417
FT%
.538
.786
RB
28
36
TO
14
13
STL
6
7
Game Leaders
Pts
37
FGM
11
3FGM
2
FTM
13
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Matt Posey/MT Athletic Communications
Lady Raiders score season-high in rivalry win over Lady Toppers
2/9/2023 9:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Savannah Wheeler’s season-best 37 points powers MTSU to comeback win
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee women's basketball endured the early onslaught from WKU and found their groove, scoring a season-high 94 points to defeat the Lady Toppers 94-81 on Thursday night in the Murphy Center.
The Lady Raiders (19-4, 12-2) trailed by as many as 10 points early in the second quarter, but stayed patient, hitting open shots, getting to the foul line and hauling in rebounds to mount an impressive offensive showcase, making 55.4 percent of their shots from the floor. While the Lady Toppers (13-10, 10-4 C-USA) were able to keep things close thanks to a hot shooting night from outside, (16-for-32 from three), MTSU dominated inside with 34 points in the paint to pace the offense.
Savannah Wheeler played her best game in a Lady Raider uniform, scoring a season-high 37 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while making 13-of-15 free throw attempts. The junior guard drew 12 fouls from the Lady Toppers, while dishing out four assists and nabbing a team-high two steals. Jalynn Gregory was her sharpshooter self, scoring 19 points thanks to a 5-for-11 clip from beyond the arc.
Alexis Whittington earned a double-double at the 4 for the injured Courtney Whitson, scoring 13 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Anastasiia Boldyreva was key in the paint, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds, while also blocking three shots.
By the Numbers
37: Points for Savannah Wheeler, the most points she's scored in a game in a Lady Raider uniform, smashing her previous MTSU best of 29 points earlier this season against LA Tech. It was just three points off her career high, when the Catlettsburg, Ky. native scored 40 points against Oakland last season while competing for Marshall.
13, 10: Points and rebounds, respectively, for Alexis Whittington, earning the fifth-year senior her first double-double of the season. It is the fifth double-double of the Murfreesboro native's career.
15-3: The run MTSU went on from the 7:21 mark of the second quarter to the 3:22 mark, when the Lady Raiders would take their first lead of the night. After that run, a WKU three quickly gave the Lady Toppers the lead, but a Savannah Wheeler layup gave MTSU the lead right back, one the Lady Raiders would not relinquish the rest of the night.
Lady Raider Notes
Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Insell
"I'm very, very proud of this group. Very proud. They came in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and worked hard, they bought into the scouting report. As proud as I am of our players, I'm more proud of our staff. Our staff came back after losing two games and they worked through Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to get ready for this game and to get ready for this week. Big win for our players, big win for the program, big win for the staff.
"They thought they killed us in Texas, but they just woke us up."
Player's Perspective – Jalynn Gregory
"It was just a mindset of knowing it was going to go in. We struggled the last couple of weeks of getting our outside shots to fall. It was just trusting that they were going to go in. Because as shooters, you can't stop shooting. As they tell us, if we stop shooting, then we're passing our anxiety onto everybody else. If we just keep shooting, they're eventually going to fall."
Up Next
The Lady Raiders will stay at home for the end of their two game homestand, taking on UAB on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
Follow the Lady Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTSUWBB), Twitter (@MT_WBB) and Instagram (@mt_wbb).
The Lady Raiders (19-4, 12-2) trailed by as many as 10 points early in the second quarter, but stayed patient, hitting open shots, getting to the foul line and hauling in rebounds to mount an impressive offensive showcase, making 55.4 percent of their shots from the floor. While the Lady Toppers (13-10, 10-4 C-USA) were able to keep things close thanks to a hot shooting night from outside, (16-for-32 from three), MTSU dominated inside with 34 points in the paint to pace the offense.
Savannah Wheeler played her best game in a Lady Raider uniform, scoring a season-high 37 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while making 13-of-15 free throw attempts. The junior guard drew 12 fouls from the Lady Toppers, while dishing out four assists and nabbing a team-high two steals. Jalynn Gregory was her sharpshooter self, scoring 19 points thanks to a 5-for-11 clip from beyond the arc.
Alexis Whittington earned a double-double at the 4 for the injured Courtney Whitson, scoring 13 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Anastasiia Boldyreva was key in the paint, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds, while also blocking three shots.
By the Numbers
37: Points for Savannah Wheeler, the most points she's scored in a game in a Lady Raider uniform, smashing her previous MTSU best of 29 points earlier this season against LA Tech. It was just three points off her career high, when the Catlettsburg, Ky. native scored 40 points against Oakland last season while competing for Marshall.
13, 10: Points and rebounds, respectively, for Alexis Whittington, earning the fifth-year senior her first double-double of the season. It is the fifth double-double of the Murfreesboro native's career.
15-3: The run MTSU went on from the 7:21 mark of the second quarter to the 3:22 mark, when the Lady Raiders would take their first lead of the night. After that run, a WKU three quickly gave the Lady Toppers the lead, but a Savannah Wheeler layup gave MTSU the lead right back, one the Lady Raiders would not relinquish the rest of the night.
Lady Raider Notes
- Wheeler's 37 points were the most points in a game by a Lady Raider since the 2020-21 season. Wheeler tied the most points by a Conference USA player in a game this season and set her own career high in a C-USA game. Her 11 field goals and 13 free throws set new season highs.
- Anastasiia Boldyreva played in a season-high 32 minutes and tied a career high in assists with two.
- Jalynn Gregory has made five-plus threes in three games this season. Gregory also played the full length of a game for the fifth time in 2022-23.
- Ta'Mia Scott's seven rebounds tied a career high.
- Middle Tennessee swept the regular season series vs. WKU and improved to 39-32 all-time vs. the Lady Toppers.
- The Lady Raiders are now 47-1 when scoring 90-plus points under Rick Insell.
Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Insell
"I'm very, very proud of this group. Very proud. They came in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and worked hard, they bought into the scouting report. As proud as I am of our players, I'm more proud of our staff. Our staff came back after losing two games and they worked through Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to get ready for this game and to get ready for this week. Big win for our players, big win for the program, big win for the staff.
"They thought they killed us in Texas, but they just woke us up."
Player's Perspective – Jalynn Gregory
"It was just a mindset of knowing it was going to go in. We struggled the last couple of weeks of getting our outside shots to fall. It was just trusting that they were going to go in. Because as shooters, you can't stop shooting. As they tell us, if we stop shooting, then we're passing our anxiety onto everybody else. If we just keep shooting, they're eventually going to fall."
Up Next
The Lady Raiders will stay at home for the end of their two game homestand, taking on UAB on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
Follow the Lady Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTSUWBB), Twitter (@MT_WBB) and Instagram (@mt_wbb).
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