Blue Raiders Round Up NM State for their 10th Win in a Row

Thursday, February 27

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

22-6,14-1CUSA

NM State

15-13,8-7CUSA

New Mexico St.

Middle Tenn.

2/27/2025 8:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Anthony Fiorella / MTSU Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It wasn't always pretty, but that didn't stop the Middle Tennessee women's basketball team (22-6, 14-1 CUSA) from earning its 10th straight win in a 63-41 victory over New Mexico State (15-13, 8-7 CUSA).

Offensively, it took some time for Middle Tennessee to find its rhythm, but the Blue Raiders' defensive grit and determination helped them deliver a much stronger second-half performance.

Seniors Elina Arike and Anastasiia Boldyreva anchored the defense, keeping the Aggies out of the paint and forcing difficult shots. Meanwhile, Jalynn Gregory, matched up against star player Molly Kaiser, put together another standout defensive effort against one of Conference USA's top scorers.

Middle Tennessee, one of the best defensive teams in the country, set the tone early, holding New Mexico State to just 21% shooting in the first quarter. Arike and Boldyreva were active from the start, with Boldyreva scoring five points, grabbing three rebounds, and blocking a shot, while Arike led all players with five rebounds. The Blue Raiders jumped out to a 17-8 lead after one quarter.

The second quarter mirrored the first, with both teams struggling to score. Middle Tennessee managed just two field goals—both 3-pointers from Ta'Mia Scott and Gregory—who combined for 16 of the team's 23 first-half points. The Blue Raiders held New Mexico State scoreless from the 6:16 mark until 42 seconds remained in the half, limiting the Aggies to 23% shooting (6-of-26) and just 16 points in the first two quarters.

Middle Tennessee continued its defensive dominance in the third quarter, once again holding the Aggies to single-digit scoring. The Blue Raiders, however, improved offensively, extending their lead to 47-30 heading into the fourth. Much of that offensive boost came from Arike and Boldyreva's work inside, helping the team secure a +3 margin on the offensive glass and a +10 advantage in points in the paint.

Scott and Gregory led Middle Tennessee in scoring with 20 and 16 points, respectively. Gregory's defensive effort on Kaiser proved to be a game-changer, as she limited the Aggies' leading scorer to just four points on 2-of-8 shooting entering the final quarter.

The Blue Raiders closed out the game strong, holding New Mexico State to 26% shooting overall. Kaiser finished with a season-low seven points, well below her average of 21.4 per game. Scott notched her 12th 20-plus point game of the season and her sixth in the last seven games. Gregory added 16 points, including three 3-pointers.

Boldyreva finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks, bringing her season total to a national-best 98. Arike recorded a season-high 12 rebounds, finishing three shy of her career high, along with six points. Courtney Blakely dished out a game-high four assists while scoring nine points with no turnovers.

By the Numbers
98 – Blocks this season by senior Anastasiia Boldyreva, the most in the nation.
12 – Season-high rebounds for fifth-year senior forward Elina Arike.
0 – Lead changes in the game. Middle Tennessee led from start to finish for the eighth time this season.
11 – Times this season that Middle Tennessee has held an opponent under 30% shooting.

Blue Raider Notes
Middle Tennessee is holding conference opponents to 29.8% shooting this season, which would rank as the third-lowest opponent field goal percentage in conference play by an NCAA Division I team in the past 20 seasons (2014-15 UConn – 26.8%, 2016-17 Bethune-Cookman – 28.2%).
The Blue Raiders will celebrate their seniors on Senior Day this Saturday, honoring Courtney Blakely, Anastasiia Boldyreva, Jada Grannum, Jalynn Gregory, and Elina Arike, as well as student managers Shelby Davis, Adan Bueno, Jordan Dethrow, and Khaleel Marshall.

Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Insell
"We've been working really hard on defense the past few days in preparation for New Mexico State," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell said. "Tonight, it was (Jalynn) Gregory's night, and last time we played them, it was Kaiser's. Today was probably the most impressive defensive shootaround we've had since I've been here.

"We took some shots outside of our offense, and at halftime, I told (associate head coach) Matt (Insell) we needed to get back to attacking the basket. When we hit layups and got back to the free-throw line, that made a big difference. (Elina) Arike had 12 rebounds, and I'd take half of that every night. She had one on offense where she ripped it away from a girl. Right now, everything needs to come together with tournament time approaching."

Player's Perspective: Junior Guard Ta'Mia Scott
"Defense was a huge emphasis coming into this game, especially going against the conference's leading scorer," Scott said. "We had to make sure we had two hands in (Kaiser's) face at all times and made it a priority to limit her points. Our expectation is to hold teams under a certain amount of points, and we did a really good job tonight. We feed off our defense—when we get stops and transition to offense, our shots start falling."

Up Next
Middle Tennessee's final home game is Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against UTEP. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Blue Raider Network. Senior Day ceremonies will take place following the game.

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