Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
18-4,8-0CUSA
Liberty
10-14,5-4CUSA
Lady Raiders snuff out Lady Flames 81-55
2/8/2024 9:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
A 22-point third quarter helped MTSU blast past visiting Liberty on Thursday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee women's basketball battled through early runs from Liberty, but won the battle of halftime adjustments, outscoring the Lady Flames 45-26 in the second half en route to an 81-55 victory in Thursday night in the Murphy Center.
The Lady Raiders (18-4, 8-0 CUSA) were locked into a tight battle early in the proceedings, but found a defensive plan that worked wonders in the second quarter, holding theLady Flames (10-14, 5-4 CUSA) to just 4-for-17 from the floor, including an 0-for-7 stretch to end the half, resulting in a 36-29 lead for MTSU at the break. Savanah Wheeler also found her shooting touch in the second frame, scoring all 12 of her first half points, including a pair of three-pointers, in the second quarter.
MTSU continued to pour it on in the second half, outscoring Liberty 22-9 in the third quarter thanks to scoring from all three starters, including nine points for Anastasiia Boldyreva in the frame, all while holding the Lady Flames to just four made field goals in the quarter. Liberty would fight back early in the fourth quarter to get within 16 points, but Courtney Whitson found her rhythm from outside, making 3-of-5 three-pointers in the quarter to help MTSU pull away for the dominant win.
Boldyreva tied for the lead for all scorers with 20 points, shooting 8-for-10 from the field (including 1-for-2 for three). Wheeler also finished with 20 points, dishing out six assists with no turnovers and thee steals while leading the Lady Raider offense. Courtney Whitson's hot fourth quarter pushed her up to 14 points while leading the team with eight rebounds. Ta'Mia Scott set a new career high with four blocks.
By the Numbers
56.5: MTSU's field goal percentage on Thursday night, the sixth time this season MTSU has shot more than 50 percent from the floor. It's the second highest shooting percentage for the Lady Raiders this season behind when MTSU shot 59.6 percent from the field at FIU in a 92-62 victory.
28-12: The advantage in points in the paint MTSU enjoyed on Thursday against Liberty, who also boasted similar size to the Lady Raiders in the post.
6-for-6: Jalynn Gregory's night at the free throw line. All six free throws Gregroy was awarded came off of being fouled on three-pointer attempts.
Lady Raider Notes
• Anastasiia Boldyreva and Savannah Wheeler each tallied 20 points on the night. This marked Wheeler's 37th 20-point scoring performance and Boldyreva's seventh.
• With eight rebounds on the night, Courtney Whitson is just two boards away from joining Ebony Rowe as the only Lady Raiders in program history to eclipse 1,000 career rebounds.
• Ta'Mia Scott logged a career-high four blocks against the Lady Flames.
• Today marked the seventh time this season four or more Lady Raiders tallied double figure scoring.
Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Insell
"I knew (Liberty) had a good basketball team. They had size, they had shooters, they have a high IQ, they have grit, guts. Everything that you want in a basketball team, they've got, just like we've got. You had two teams meeting each other like that. Their play is not indicative of their record. They played a tougher non-conference schedule than we did. Fortunately, we've got another team in our conference that will play some people like they're playing. I appreciate that and I appreciate (Head Coach) Carey (Green) and their team. They fought hard, we fought hard. It was a great game for our fan base."
Player's Perspective – Anastasiia Boldyreva
On facing 6-foot-6 center Bella Smuda...
"I knew it was going to be a tough game, I knew she is a good player. I just went into it with respect...Just tried to play straight up with her...The first shot is obviously the most confidence (building) moment for me, because it was the first shot I even tried to put in. I knew that I had to, and my teammates trusted me, and I couldn't miss easy ones."
Up Next
The Lady Raiders finish their three game homestand on Saturday, taking on current CUSA second place team FIU at 1 p.m. in the Glass House. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
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).
