Middle Tennessee tops Jacksonville State 69-52 for 2-0 CUSA start

Sunday, January 4

Jacksonville, Ala.

2:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

7-7,2-0CUSA

Jax State

7-7,1-1CUSA

Middle Tenn.

Jacksonville St.

1/4/2026 5:19:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Edly Termilien / MTSU Athletic Communications

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Middle Tennessee (7-7, 2-0 CUSA) dominated Jacksonville State (7-7, 1-1 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon, earning a 69-52 win at Pete Mathews Coliseum.

Jax State started the game with a 7-0 advantage until freshman Kirston Verhulst scored a three-pointer, ending the scoring drought for MTSU. The Gamecocks maintained a solid 13-point lead, but then the Blue Raiders charged back with a 7-0 run, bringing the score to 16-10. Freshman guard Macie Phifer then made a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to 2 points at 18-16 with 7:36 remaining in the second quarter. With 2:54 left, freshman Carsyn Swaney also hit a three-pointer, bringing Jax State's lead down to 2 at 25-23. The Blue Raiders kept the momentum going with an 8-0 run over three minutes, ending with a 3-pointer from senior Alayna Contreras, giving them the lead for the first time at 26-25 as they headed into halftime.

The Blue Raiders began the third quarter strong, with Contreras scoring a two-point jumper, Phifer then followed with a second-chance layup and drew a foul for an additional free throw, extending the lead to 6 points at 31-25. With 3:55 remaining in the third quarter, freshman guard Blair Baugus capitalized on a turnover, making a jumper that increased the team's lead to 11 points, bringing the score to 39-28. In the last 2 minutes, the blue raider hit 8 out of their last 9 shots before heading into the 4th quarter.

The Blue Raiders launched an 8-0 scoring run over 2 minutes and 16 seconds, with Phifer sinking a three-pointer following a turnover by the Gamecocks, which pushed their lead to 20 points at 60-40 with 6:39 remaining in the game. At the 5:52 mark, Baugus made a jumper, marking the largest lead of the game for the Blue Raiders at 62-40. Baugus recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds, posted back to back double-doubles on the road. Contreras contributed 21 points and 4 assists, while sophomore guard Savanah Davis added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Phifer finished with 11 points and 4 turnovers, and Verhulst played the full 40 minutes, delivering 6 assists.

Coach's Comments
"I'm really proud of our young ladies. They did a good job. We got down 13 points and we didn't panic. We did a good job executing our offense all night long, from the second quarter on and we did some good things that I really liked on defense, with the way we were adjusting, the way we were cracking down. There's just so many different things that we were able to do that we had been doing, that we did today."

By the Numbers
4: This was the second game of the season where four players scored in double figures, which last happened on December 3, 2025, against Belmont.
22: The Blue Raiders had their largest lead of the season, which was 22 points.
52: Middle Tennessee shot 52 percent from three-point range, while Jax State managed only 28 percent.
15: The Blue Raiders went on a 15-0 run in the third quarter.

UP NEXT:
The Blue Raiders return home to host UTEP on Thursday, Jan. 8. Tip off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and stream on ESPN+.

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