Blue Raiders put out Flames, 69-61

Tuesday, March 5

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6 PM

Middle Tennessee

13-17,7-8CUSA

Liberty

17-13,6-9CUSA

Liberty

Middle Tenn.

3/5/2024 9:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Thomas Donley, MT Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Jalen Jordan keyed an 18-3 Middle Tennessee run that distanced his team from Liberty in a 69-61 win on Tuesday at the Murphy Center. The redshirt senior scored 12 of those 18 points with three made 3-pointers and three free throws, finishing the game with 17 points on nine field goal attempts.

In a battle between teams that entered in a tie for fourth place in Conference USA, the Flames (17-13, 6-9 CUSA) built a 10-point lead in the middle of the first half, at one point making 11 straight shots. However, the Blue Raiders (13-17, 7-8) went on a 23-4 run over a stretch of roughly 12 minutes.

The two teams traded baskets – and the lead – early in the second half until the Blue Raiders distanced themselves. Jordan scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half. MTSU led by 11 until a garbage time 3-pointer by Liberty cut the deficit to eight.

Elias King led the Blue Raiders with 19 points, scoring the team's first eight points of the second half. Jared Coleman-Jones put up 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Jacob Johnson led MTSU with four assists.

By the Numbers
15: The Blue Raiders forced 15 turnovers, the most Liberty has committed in a game this season.

7: Coleman-Jones recorded his seventh double-double of the year,

7: Seven of the eight Blue Raiders to see the floor recorded an assist Tuesday.

Blue Raider Notes

Middle Tennessee takes sole possession of fourth place in the CUSA standings, a full game ahead of a four-way tie for fifth.
King and Jordan combined for 36 points in the final home game of their senior season.\
The win was the Blue Raiders' sixth in a row at home.
The Blue Raiders have won seven out of their last 11 games after an 0-4 start to CUSA play.
MTSU has shot 79 percent or better from the free throw line in four of their last six games.

Coach's Comments: Nick McDevitt
"Liberty puts you on edge defensively all night, the way they cut and move. They've got so many guys that can drive the ball. They test your defensive discipline, and I thought we did a really good job of not having defensive lapses over and over. When we went to Liberty earlier in the season…they were more physical, tougher than we were. We were just kind of reactive to what they were doing offensively. Tonight, I thought we were aggressive, active, anticipated actions. Our talk was good. I thought we were connected in the second half on the defensive end."

Player's Perspective: Elias King
"[Starting off 0-4] definitely took a toll mentally, but we kept fighting. We brought it every day in practice. The second unit was pushing us, and our coaches stayed at it. We stayed at it and kept fighting, and now we're in this position to be tied for third or locked in for fourth. So just going into the conference tournament with momentum is huge for us."

Player's Perspective: Jalen Jordan
"I want to say thank you to my teammates for just trusting me. Once I [saw] one go in, the basket seemed really big for me, and I just stayed confident all night…. It felt really good to finally see some go in and get a good lead like that and come out with a win."

Up Next
The Blue Raiders close the regular season Saturday at LA Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.

Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (//MTMensBasketball), Twitter (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).

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