Middle Tennessee begins final home swing with 78-66 win over Delaware

Saturday, February 21

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

1 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

13-14,7-9CUSA

Delaware

9-18,5-11CUSA

Delaware

Middle Tenn.

2/21/2026 4:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Game Book

By: Anthony Fiorella / MTSU Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee (13-14, 7-9 CUSA) paid homage to many Blue Raiders of old with an important 78-66 win over the Delaware Blue Hens (9-18, 5-11 CUSA) in front of a happy group of men's basketball alumni that included the 2016 team that defeated Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament, all of whom were introduced to the Murphy Center crowd at halftime. The Blue Raiders overwhelmed Delaware on the glass and down low, outrebounding Delaware 38-24 to help them to a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint.

Middle Tennessee got out to an early 17-11 lead midway through the first half by controlling the glass with a 13-7 rebounding advantage. Sean Smith and Torey Alston led the Blue Raiders with six points a piece while big man Chris Loofe had five early rebounds to go with two assists and a blocked shot.

That energy helped the Blue Raiders close out the half with a 31-20 lead. Middle Tennessee went on a 14-8 run to close the half over the final nine minutes and held Delaware scoreless for a near seven-minute span that went all the way down to 2:16 to play. Kamari Lands and Alston both finished the first half with eight points. Alston had five rebounds and an assist while Lands hit two threes and had an assist. Loofe's seven rebounds helped the Blue Raiders finish the half with a 22-13 advantage on the glass.

The Blue Raiders 9-1 lead on the offensive boards helped them outscore the Blue Hens 14-6 in the paint in the first half. Defensively, Middle Tennessee kept Delaware to just 32 percent shooting in the first half, including just 2-of-9 from distance.

Loofe and Alston's dominance in the paint proved to be too much for Delaware as Middle Tennessee cruised in the second half. Alston finished with his sixth double-double of the season at 15 points and 12 rebounds while Loofe pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, scoring 11 points to give him his second career double-double. Loofe, the Leander, Texas native, finished with three assists, a block and three steals.

Middle Tennessee finished with wide margins in second-chance points as well as points in the paint. The Blue Raiders tallied 20 second-chance points to Delaware's four. Middle Tennessee had four players finish in double figures in scoring with Lands' 15 points and Smith's team-high 18 joining Alston and Loofe.

Nick McDevitt: "They don't go away because of how well they shoot the ball," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Nick McDevitt. "They don't sub much because of their pace of play. They shoot on average 21 seconds into the shot clock, so we have to guard the entirety of the way through the clock and not fall asleep because they can shoot it. I thought the difference was how we rebounded the ball. Loofe set the tone early and Alston and him both had a double-double and Sean Smith's resurgence has been really important for our team."

Chris Loofe: "We talked a lot about rebounding and points in the paint," Loofe said. "We knew from a physicality standpoint, that could be really good for us today. Watching film, we knew they were a team that can kind of lull you to sleep, so we knew we had to cut hard and move the ball. We knew that was important. We had a responsibility to play hard for the alumni and make today a good game. Our next two home games are games that are neck and neck with us, so we need to get them."

By the Numbers
6: Double-doubles on the year for Torey Alston.
13: Career-high in rebounds for Chris Loofe.
20: Second-chance points for Middle Tennessee, who only gave up four to Delaware.
5: Turnovers for the Blue Raiders, the fewest this season and since December 15, 2022.

Up Next
Middle Tennessee's final two home games are set for this upcoming week, with the first of the two against UTEP on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be carried by both ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Network.