Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
21-4,11-0CUSA
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UTEP
9-15,4-7CUSA
Lady Raiders outlast Miners in a defensive battle in the desert
2/17/2024 4:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Middle Tennessee remains perfect in CUSA play
EL PASO, Texas – Thanks to another strong defensive performance and a timely offensive spark, Middle Tennessee defeated UTEP 56-41 on Saturday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center.
The Lady Raiders (21-4, 11-0 CUSA) and Miners (9-15, 4-7 CUSA) were locked in a battle early, with MTSU taking a four-point advantage over UTEP at the first media break. However, the Miners took advantage of early turnovers and closed the opening quarter out on a 10-0 run to take a 15-11 lead. In a low-scoring second period, the Lady Raiders found their rhythm from beyond the arc and took a 23-20 lead into the half.
Coming out of the locker room, both squads continued to battle and after four lead changes, Middle Tennessee took a 35-33 lead into the final period. In the fourth, the Lady Raider quickly jumped out to a five-point lead, however, the Miners quickly cut it back to one with five minutes to play. MTSU found a late spark after a pair of key blocks by Anastasiia Boldyreva. The Lady Raiders finished the game on a 14-0 run and would go on to win 56-41
Savannah Wheeler led all scorers with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. She was followed by Courtney Whitson with 15 points and seven rebounds and Jalynn Gregory with 14 points and four assists.
By the Numbers
70: Despite shooting 34 percent in the opening three quarters, the Lady Raiders exploded offensively, shooting 70 percent in the final period of play.
18: MTSU tallied 18 fast break points compared to UTEP's two.
33-36: Today marked just the second time in conference play that the Lady Raiders have lost the battle of the boards.
Lady Raider Notes
• The Lady Raiders are 145-18 under Head Coach Rick Insell when they connect in 10 or more three-point field goals.
• With four blocks on the afternoon, Anastasiia Boldyreva moved into second all-time with 177 career blocks.
• Double Digits: Savannah Wheeler logged her 110th career double-digit scoring performance, while Courtney Whitson posted her 66th and Jalynn Gregory tallied her 51st.
Up Next
The Lady Raiders return to the Glass House to host Jax State on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will broadcast on ESPN+.
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).
