Blue Raiders come back for road win at FIU

Saturday, February 10

Miami, Fla.

1 PM

Middle Tennessee

9-15,3-6CUSA

FIU

8-16,3-6CUSA

Middle Tenn.

FIU

2/10/2024 4:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Thomas Donley, MT Athletics

MIAMI — Middle Tennessee trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half at FIU but battled back for a 68-66 victory Saturday. Jestin Porter's driving layup gave the Blue Raiders the lead for good with 44 seconds left.

Jalen Jordan's layup with 10:39 to go in the game kicked off a 13-2 MTSU (9-15, 3-6 Conference USA) run that cut the Panthers' (8-16, 3-6) lead to one. Jared Coleman-Jones' left-handed hook shot at the 4:42 mark put MTSU in the lead for the first time in the second half.

Middle Tennessee cut down on a 12-turnover first half, committing just six turnovers in the second half against a Panther team that came in fourth in nation in steals. The Blue Raiders outscored FIU 30-16 over the final 11-and-a-half minutes of the game. Elias King had 10 points and seven rebounds in the second half in the comeback effort.

King finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with nine rebounds. Jared Coleman-Jones scored 13 points while pulling down a career-best 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

Justin Bufford added 12 points while tying a career high with seven boards. Porter's game-winning layup gave him 11 points for the afternoon.

By the Numbers
9.1: Coleman-Jones is now averaging 9.1 rebounds per game in league play.
9: King's nine rebounds were a season high.
12: The 12-point deficit equals the largest MTSU has overcome this year.

Blue Raider Notes

King took sole possession of 10^th in career 3-pointers made at MTSU with his first long ball of the game. He was 2-for-4 from 3-point distance Saturday.
King shot 13-of-20 (.650) from the floor during MTSU's two-game road trip.
Middle Tennessee improves to 17-6 all-time at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.

Thoughts from Head Coach Nick McDevitt
"I just thought our guys stayed with a 'Next play' mentality. We started doing a better job of taking care of the ball. Obviously, that's something they thrive on, and that's how they're built, is to turn you over. We had 12 turnovers in the first half and only six in the second half, and that was the one key of the game. As soon as we were able to take care of the ball, our shot quality was there, and we were making them work on their end of the floor."

Up Next
MTSU is back home Thursday to take on New Mexico State at 6:30 p.m. at the Murphy Center.

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