Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
"The Foundation” pushes Women’s Basketball towards Conference USA History
1/3/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The program’s win over FIU on Thursday tied the CUSA record for most consecutive CUSA wins.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It was a Thursday night many Blue Raiders have experienced before in the Glass House. One where Middle Tennessee women's basketball imposed its will on another Conference USA foe in the winter, one where the guests could not find a rhythm offensively and could not guard well enough defensively to keep the game a rock fight down the stretch.
It wasn't always pretty on Thursday night against FIU for the Blue Raiders, who romped to a 69-38 win, holding the Panthers to just 11-for-40 (27.5 percent) shooting from the field while turning FIU over 27 times, despite fouling out three starters in a physical game that started that way from tipoff. But MTSU once again showed why they've been the class of Conference USA, picking up their 30th straight win over a CUSA opponent, a run that stretches back to the 2022-23 season.
"It starts with defense, what we've been working on this week, getting the reads we've been working on," said forward Elina Arike, who finished the night with a season-high 16 points while missing just one shot from the floor. "I don't know, the game just came to me, I guess."
Head Coach Rick Insell pointed out post-game that the foundation of the 30-game run, tying the longest such win streak against conference opponents in CUSA history, set by Rice from 2018-2020, has remained nearly the same all through the Blue Raiders' run. There was Jalynn Gregory at guard, who led MTSU with 17 points on Thursday, as well as Anastasiia Boldyreva in the post, who posted her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ta'Mia Scott had a smaller role as a freshman wing player when the streak started but has been a major contributor for the vast majority of the run.
And even Courtney Blakely, who spent last season with Arizona, was a key catalyst on the 2022-23 team off the bench. Now, the guard is dishing out assists with great frequency, dropping 10 dimes to her teammates on Thursday.
"Nowadays, with the portal and NIL and all that, you don't ever know from year-to-year what you're going to have," Insell said. "We've been really fortunate; we've got some great young ladies here that's done a great job."
Insell credits not only his players, but his staff for the run of success his team has enjoyed, remarking post-game that the FIU staff shared no other team the Panthers have played has shut them down like the Blue Raiders did on Saturday. That starts with scouting and preparation led by his staff, Insell said. Another good defensive performance will be required to set the sole CUSA record on Saturday against a Liberty team that pulled away on the road at WKU on Friday night. It's something that both coaches and players are excited to get into in practice after a night of rest.
"What we need to do now is win Saturday and stick some more on there where nobody can ever get it again," Insell said. "It'll always be there, forever, regardless of if we're Conference USA or we're not in Conference USA."
His international post exuded confidence that the first CUSA weekend of the season will post results like what the Blue Raiders have experienced myriad times in their 30-game streak.
"The record is not done; it's going to get bigger and bigger," Boldyreva said. "We know what they're going to do. We're prepared, but we're not having a day off."
