Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Thursday, February 6
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6:30 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
17-6,9-1CUSA
63
vs
46
Jax State
9-12,3-7CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Jacksonville St.
11
19
6
10
46
Middle Tenn.
17
11
20
15
63
Blue Raiders Claim Top Spot in CUSA Standings with a 63-46 Victory Over Jax State
2/6/2025 9:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee kicked off its four-game homestand against Jacksonville State with a dominant performance.
In the first quarter, the Blue Raiders' defense forced key turnovers and stifled Jacksonville State's offense. MTSU recorded five turnovers leading to eight points, with Courtney Blakely and Jalynn Gregory each grabbing two steals. The Gamecocks, however, capitalized on key 3-pointers and found gaps in the Blue Raiders' defense. MTSU carried a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, both teams exchanged offensive runs. Clara Planella came off the bench for Jacksonville State and made an immediate impact, sinking three of five 3-point attempts and finishing the half with 11 points. Conference USA Athlete of the Week Anastasiia Boldyreva and Ta'Mia Scott helped limit the damage for the Blue Raiders. Boldyreva finished the half with 10 points, three rebounds, and two blocks, while Scott added seven points and three rebounds.
Savannah Davis' efforts helped MTSU keep it close, as she came off the bench and shot a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. The Blue Raiders trailed 30-28 heading into halftime.
MTSU took control early in the second half, with Scott leading the charge. She scored 14 points in the third quarter, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including her lone 3-point attempt. Boldyreva continued her defensive dominance, adding two more blocks and shooting 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. The Blue Raiders outscored Jacksonville State 20-6 in the third quarter, entering the final period in command.
Scott continued her stellar play in the fourth quarter, adding nine more points en route to a career-high 30 points and 14 rebounds. Davis and Boldyreva helped secure the win, with Davis finishing with nine points on three 3-pointers and Boldyreva recording six blocks to stifle Jacksonville State's offense.
MTSU pulled away for a 63-46 victory, securing sole possession of first place in the Conference USA standings after Liberty lost by one point to Louisiana Tech.
By the Numbers
7 – Scott recorded her seventh career double-double, having entered the season with three.
77 – Boldyreva's six blocks moved her to No. 1 nationally in total blocks with 77.
6 – The Blue Raiders held Jacksonville State to just six points in the third quarter.
From Head Coach Rick Insell
"This team right here (Jacksonville State) was down 20 to Liberty and came back to win it in the fourth quarter. This is the same team that beat New Mexico State, which has a great team, that took us to overtime the other night. (Jacksonville State) beat them last week or two weeks ago. So we knew coming in they were capable of beating us, but we thought we would come out. We've had pretty good practices. There were some positives and some negatives, and we'll go back to work tomorrow."
Up Next
MTSU will host Kennesaw State on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m. inside Murphy Center.
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).
In the first quarter, the Blue Raiders' defense forced key turnovers and stifled Jacksonville State's offense. MTSU recorded five turnovers leading to eight points, with Courtney Blakely and Jalynn Gregory each grabbing two steals. The Gamecocks, however, capitalized on key 3-pointers and found gaps in the Blue Raiders' defense. MTSU carried a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, both teams exchanged offensive runs. Clara Planella came off the bench for Jacksonville State and made an immediate impact, sinking three of five 3-point attempts and finishing the half with 11 points. Conference USA Athlete of the Week Anastasiia Boldyreva and Ta'Mia Scott helped limit the damage for the Blue Raiders. Boldyreva finished the half with 10 points, three rebounds, and two blocks, while Scott added seven points and three rebounds.
Savannah Davis' efforts helped MTSU keep it close, as she came off the bench and shot a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. The Blue Raiders trailed 30-28 heading into halftime.
MTSU took control early in the second half, with Scott leading the charge. She scored 14 points in the third quarter, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including her lone 3-point attempt. Boldyreva continued her defensive dominance, adding two more blocks and shooting 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. The Blue Raiders outscored Jacksonville State 20-6 in the third quarter, entering the final period in command.
Scott continued her stellar play in the fourth quarter, adding nine more points en route to a career-high 30 points and 14 rebounds. Davis and Boldyreva helped secure the win, with Davis finishing with nine points on three 3-pointers and Boldyreva recording six blocks to stifle Jacksonville State's offense.
MTSU pulled away for a 63-46 victory, securing sole possession of first place in the Conference USA standings after Liberty lost by one point to Louisiana Tech.
By the Numbers
7 – Scott recorded her seventh career double-double, having entered the season with three.
77 – Boldyreva's six blocks moved her to No. 1 nationally in total blocks with 77.
6 – The Blue Raiders held Jacksonville State to just six points in the third quarter.
From Head Coach Rick Insell
"This team right here (Jacksonville State) was down 20 to Liberty and came back to win it in the fourth quarter. This is the same team that beat New Mexico State, which has a great team, that took us to overtime the other night. (Jacksonville State) beat them last week or two weeks ago. So we knew coming in they were capable of beating us, but we thought we would come out. We've had pretty good practices. There were some positives and some negatives, and we'll go back to work tomorrow."
Up Next
MTSU will host Kennesaw State on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m. inside Murphy Center.
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).
Team Stats
JSU
MTSU
FG%
.288
.469
3FG%
.379
.294
FT%
.500
.800
RB
30
39
TO
14
16
STL
7
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
11
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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