Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Blue Raiders set to open CUSA play against FIU and Liberty at home
1/1/2025 2:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Thursday, Jan. 2 | 6:30 p.m. | Murphy Center | Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
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MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS 8-5, 0-0 CUSA |
vs | FIU PANTHERS 4-7, 0-0 CUSA |
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WATCH: ESPN+ | STATS: LINK | RADIO: WGNS (LINK) |
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee is set to open Conference USA play against FIU on Thursday, Jan. 4 at the Murphy Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and broadcast on ESPN+.
GAME 14
» Thursday, January 2 - 6:30 p.m.
» Murphy Center
» Murfreesboro, Tennessee
SERIES HISTORY
» This marks the 48th meeting in series history between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and FIU Panthers.
» The Blue Raiders owns a 37-10 lead over FIU in the all-time series.
» Last season MTSU defeated FIU twice, 92-62 in Miami and 73-54 in Murfreesboro.
BLUE RAIDER NOTES
» Middle Tennessee is 153-37 in conference play since joining Conference USA in 2013-14.
» MTSU is riding a 29-game win streak against CUSA opponents – The second longest streak in CUSA history (30, Rice 2018-20).
» The Blue Raiders also have a 28-game home win streak against CUSA teams that dates back to the 2020-21 season – Last loss came at the hands of a Marshall team led by Savannah Wheeler.
» Middle Tennessee is 46-2 over the previous three season at home. The Blue Raiders only losses have come against Seton Hall in the WNIT semifinals in 2022-23 and against Ivy League power house Princeton in 2023-24.
» Head Coach Rick Insell has led the Lady Raiders to 19 consecutive post-seasons. He has tallied a 471-161 record at his alma mater.
» The Blue Raiders rank 24th nationally in Free Throw Made per game (14.9) and 49th in Free Throw Attempts per game (19.8). Gregory ranks seventh in the country, shooting 94.6 percent from the line.
» The Blue Raiders return 10 players, including three starters, from the 2023-24 squad that went 30-5 and won the CUSA regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.
» The Middle Tennessee women's basketball program will celebrate its 50th varsity season in 2024-25 and is set to honor the program's storied tradition and rich history with various initiatives throughout the year.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
» FIU enters Conference USA play with a 4-7 record. The Panthers are coming off of a 55-62 loss to Miami (OH) to conclude non-conference action.
» Junior forward Mya Kone was named the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year. She hasn't played since posting a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double to open the season.
» Junior guard Parris Atkins leads the Panthers in scoring with 14.3 points per game, while senior forward Bineta Diatta leads the team in rebounding (5.8).
Saturday, Jan. 4 | 3 p.m. | Murphy Center | Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
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MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS 8-5, 0-0 CUSA |
vs | LIBERTY FLAMES 7-4, 0-0 CUSA |
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WATCH: ESPNU | STATS: LINK | RADIO: WGNS (LINK) |
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee will host Liberty in a CUSA Title Game rematch on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the Murphy Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
GAME 15
» Saturday, January 4 - 3 p.m.
» Murphy Center
» Murfreesboro, Tennessee
SERIES HISTORY
» This marks the fourth meeting in series history between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Liberty Flames.
» The Blue Raiders owns a 3-0 lead over Liberty in the all-time series.
» Last season MTSU defeated Liberty three times, 81-55 in Murfreesboro, 67-52 in Lynchburg and 67-51 in the CUSA Title game in Huntsville.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
» Liberty enters Conference USA play with a 7-4 record. The Flames will travel to Murfreesboro after opening conference play at WKU.
» The Flames were picked to finish second in CUSA this season – receiving one first place vote.
» Redshirt-senior center Bella Smuda leads the Flames in scoring with 12.3 points per game, while freshman center Emmy Stout leads the team in rebounding (8.0).
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTSUWBB), X (Formerly known as Twitter) (@MT_WBB) and Instagram (@mt_wbb).