Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
COLUMN: Breathing Deeply at 6,035 Feet
5/7/2023 4:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MTSU Women’s Basketball showed what they were made of in Colorado at the 3x Nationals
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — From the moment I saw the gym, I knew this weekend's 3x Nationals had potential to be the sporting event of the weekend.
Watching MTSU women's basketball battle Seton Hall to start their pool play day at Colorado College, the Tigers have a message for visiting teams across wall behind the basket.
"WELCOME TO 6,035 FEET!" it reads. "BREATHE DEEPLY"
It was a stark reminder of the conditions that this weekend of 3x basketball imposed on their teams. Taking a sport that is just exhausting to watch at sea level and making it all the more draining on the players. When Jalynn Gregory hit a step back three to defeat Indiana in MTSU's second game, a shot that would've led to screams of joy both on and off court in the regular season, the Lady Raiders settled for just high-fives after the fatigue of the game had already set in.
"It's tiring for them because it's such a quick game and you're going at such a rapid speed," associate head coach Matt Insell told me of 3x Basketball as the MTSU team of Gregory, Ta'Mia Scott, Savannah Wheeler and Courtney Whitson headed out to compete. "It's fast, it's physical, it's going to be wild."
And after spending much of my weekend watching the USA Basketball YouTube Channel, it certainly was all of that and much more.
Graduation weekend is, of course, a vitally important time for graduates, their families, their friends and the university community as a whole. It is also, if you live near MTSU's campus in Murfreesboro like I do, particularly on a weekend where Taylor Swift is in town just up the road in the Music City, graduation weekend is the best time to stay indoors and avoid the Murphy Center one has had in a long while.
It's why I was so thankful to have so many MTSU sports to tune into over the weekend. Baseball's win over ranked Dallas Baptist on Saturday, Softball's win against North Texas on Sunday, Men's Tennis' NCAA Tournament win over Tulane on Friday and battle against Mississippi State on Saturday all kept me engaged.
But even with all the action, I kept coming back on Saturday to watch MTSU Women's Basketball in the 3X Nationals.
There was some novelty appeal on my end, there's no question about that. I have seen countless baseball games, softball games, tennis matches over the course of my life. I had not seen competitive 3-on-3 basketball with any regularity. I also enjoyed the fact the tournament was streamed live on YouTube, something that took me back to my club sports days watching quidditch tournaments across the country on a given weekend.
But it was the sport itself that quickly won me over, with the 12-second shot clock resulting in a ton of action in a short amount of time, coupled with the more open spacing allowing players to show off their individual skills, as Scott did a spin move that me jumping out of my dining room seat.
Insell spoke of the leadership he'd seen his four players show during the one-month crash course they undertook after the season before 3x Nationals, an invitation MTSU received thanks to the AP Poll ranking in late February earlier this year. With no coaches on court, all four had to take the initiative in play calling, adjustments and everything in between.
All four players were assertive and decisive with the ball. The format demands quick decisions, and MTSU had clearly gotten used to that pace. After struggling with bigger post players against Seton Hall in Game 1, the strategy changed in Games 2 and 3, using the fouling rules of 3x (where there are no personal fouls) to help prevent easy buckets in the paint.
Each of the four Lady Raiders got to show off the best parts of their game. Gregory's shooting, Scott's defensive versatility, Wheeler's driving ability and Whitson's inside-out game all came up in big spots for MTSU. Ta'Mia Scott, in particular, was a revelation, only due to the fact we saw so little of her in the last season. But the all-conference talent that Rick Insell described her as after a Conference USA Tournament in which she played just five minutes total as apparent in Colorado.
It was, to put it mildly, a blast to watch, and a great way to enjoy the end of the school year as our university calendar starts to turn over.
If you want to check out the action yourself, I've linked the YouTube stream below. MTSU's games are at the following time stamps.
Watching MTSU women's basketball battle Seton Hall to start their pool play day at Colorado College, the Tigers have a message for visiting teams across wall behind the basket.
"WELCOME TO 6,035 FEET!" it reads. "BREATHE DEEPLY"
These four represented @MTSU and @MT_WBB at the highest level this weekend in Colorado Springs, CO competing in @usab3x3 Nationals #Proud #TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/NKjobR7Uuj
— Tom Hodges (@CoachTomHodges) May 7, 2023
It was a stark reminder of the conditions that this weekend of 3x basketball imposed on their teams. Taking a sport that is just exhausting to watch at sea level and making it all the more draining on the players. When Jalynn Gregory hit a step back three to defeat Indiana in MTSU's second game, a shot that would've led to screams of joy both on and off court in the regular season, the Lady Raiders settled for just high-fives after the fatigue of the game had already set in.
Steppin' wayyyy back @GregoryJalynn for the win! @MT_WBB#3XNationals pic.twitter.com/qKKX2vJ9D1
— USA Basketball 3x3 (@usab3x3) May 6, 2023
"It's tiring for them because it's such a quick game and you're going at such a rapid speed," associate head coach Matt Insell told me of 3x Basketball as the MTSU team of Gregory, Ta'Mia Scott, Savannah Wheeler and Courtney Whitson headed out to compete. "It's fast, it's physical, it's going to be wild."
And after spending much of my weekend watching the USA Basketball YouTube Channel, it certainly was all of that and much more.
Savannah Wheeler's floater 🥶 pic.twitter.com/jDT12HSwML
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) May 6, 2023
Graduation weekend is, of course, a vitally important time for graduates, their families, their friends and the university community as a whole. It is also, if you live near MTSU's campus in Murfreesboro like I do, particularly on a weekend where Taylor Swift is in town just up the road in the Music City, graduation weekend is the best time to stay indoors and avoid the Murphy Center one has had in a long while.
It's why I was so thankful to have so many MTSU sports to tune into over the weekend. Baseball's win over ranked Dallas Baptist on Saturday, Softball's win against North Texas on Sunday, Men's Tennis' NCAA Tournament win over Tulane on Friday and battle against Mississippi State on Saturday all kept me engaged.
But even with all the action, I kept coming back on Saturday to watch MTSU Women's Basketball in the 3X Nationals.
Courtney Whitson's jumper is gooooood! pic.twitter.com/wmTUeyvXpe
— MT Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) May 6, 2023
There was some novelty appeal on my end, there's no question about that. I have seen countless baseball games, softball games, tennis matches over the course of my life. I had not seen competitive 3-on-3 basketball with any regularity. I also enjoyed the fact the tournament was streamed live on YouTube, something that took me back to my club sports days watching quidditch tournaments across the country on a given weekend.
But it was the sport itself that quickly won me over, with the 12-second shot clock resulting in a ton of action in a short amount of time, coupled with the more open spacing allowing players to show off their individual skills, as Scott did a spin move that me jumping out of my dining room seat.
🔥🏀 https://t.co/GJCs4JzDZX pic.twitter.com/eYSl0COaX4
— Sam Doughton (@sjdoughton) May 6, 2023
Insell spoke of the leadership he'd seen his four players show during the one-month crash course they undertook after the season before 3x Nationals, an invitation MTSU received thanks to the AP Poll ranking in late February earlier this year. With no coaches on court, all four had to take the initiative in play calling, adjustments and everything in between.
All four players were assertive and decisive with the ball. The format demands quick decisions, and MTSU had clearly gotten used to that pace. After struggling with bigger post players against Seton Hall in Game 1, the strategy changed in Games 2 and 3, using the fouling rules of 3x (where there are no personal fouls) to help prevent easy buckets in the paint.
Each of the four Lady Raiders got to show off the best parts of their game. Gregory's shooting, Scott's defensive versatility, Wheeler's driving ability and Whitson's inside-out game all came up in big spots for MTSU. Ta'Mia Scott, in particular, was a revelation, only due to the fact we saw so little of her in the last season. But the all-conference talent that Rick Insell described her as after a Conference USA Tournament in which she played just five minutes total as apparent in Colorado.
It was, to put it mildly, a blast to watch, and a great way to enjoy the end of the school year as our university calendar starts to turn over.
If you want to check out the action yourself, I've linked the YouTube stream below. MTSU's games are at the following time stamps.
- 24:25 for Seton Hall
- 3:41:30 for Indiana
- 7:52:15 for Duke
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball8th MTSU WBB Head Coach - Matt Insell
Wednesday, April 01
MTSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference vs Cleveland State on 3/26/26
Thursday, March 26
WBB: Matt Insell Introductory Press Conference
Tuesday, March 24
MTSU Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference vs St. Bonaventure on 3/23/26
Monday, March 23
