Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
St. Bonaventure
Blue Raiders, Bonnies Set for WNIT Second Round Matchup
3/22/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Monday, Mar. 23 | 6:30 p.m. | Murphy Center | Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
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MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS 16-15, 11-7 CUSA |
vs | ST. BONAVENTURE BONNIES 17-15, 7-11 A10 |
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| WATCH: ESPN+ | STATS: LINK | RADIO: WGNS (LINK) | MEDIA CENTER: LINK | ||||
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Postseason basketball returns to the Glass House as Middle Tennessee has earned a bid to the WNIT, extending its postseason streak to 23 consecutive seasons. The Blue Raiders are set to host the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the second round of the WNIT on Monday, March 23, inside the Murphy Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and broadcast on ESPN+.
General admission tickets for the WNIT are $10 and can be purchased through the MTSU Ticket Office. All WNIT tickets are mobile, and fans are encouraged to purchase online in advance of game day to avoid delays entering the Murphy Center. Parking will be available in the Greenland Lot for $5.
Middle Tennessee students will receive free admission by presenting a current physical student ID at the ticket office windows, where they will be issued one complimentary ticket.
Gates will open 60 minutes prior to tip-off. BRAA members will receive early entry beginning at 5 p.m. CT through the old loading dock entrance, located directly across from the Smith Center.
GAME 32
» Monday, March 23 - 6:30 p.m.
» Murphy Center
» Murfreesboro, Tennessee
SERIES HISTORY
» This marks the second meeting in series history between the Blue Raiders and Bonnies.
» MTSU owns a 1-0 lead over St. Bonaventure in the all-time series.
» The Blue Raiders won the previous meeting 58-53 on Dec. 20, 2010, in Murfreesboro.
» Ebony Rowe led the Blue Raiders with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. She went 7-of-12 from the field and added 4 assists in 38 minutes of action.
BLUE RAIDER NOTES
» Middle Tennessee is making its ninth appearance in the WNIT. The Blue Raiders are 11-8 all-time in the WNIT, including going 4-1 in the second round.
» Rick Insell, the winningest coach in Middle Tennessee basketball history, announced Thursday that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Following Insell's retirement, current associate head coach, Matt Insell, will take over the program, continuing the Blue Raiders' tradition of excellence. (Link to release)
» Blair Baugus — Named Conference USA Freshman of the Year, First Team All-CUSA and CUSA All-Freshman Team after averaging 13.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game with 13 double-doubles during the regular season and eight CUSA Freshman of the Week honors.
» Alayna Contreras — Earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors after averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting 37.7% from three-point range and earning two CUSA Player of the Week awards.
» Macie Phifer — Named All-CUSA Honorable Mention and selected to the CUSA All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and earning three CUSA Freshman of the Week honors.
» Middle Tennessee is one of 12 schools nationally where women's basketball averages higher attendance than men's basketball. The Blue Raiders averaged 4,386 fans per game, compared to 3,682 for the men's program.
» With a 63-54 win over Liberty, Coach Insell earned his 500th career NCAA Division I victory, becoming one of just six active coaches with 500 Division I wins at a single school — and the only coach nationwide with 500+ Division I and 500+ high school wins.
» The Blue Raiders are 154-18 (.893) under Head Coach Rick Insell when connecting on 10 or more Three-Point Field Goals in a game.
» Middle Tennessee is one of only a handful of Division I programs that do not feature a single returning starter on the roster. According to available national data, Santa Clara is the only program in the country bringing in more newcomers while also returning zero starters.
» Middle Tennessee was picked third in the CUSA preseason poll. This marks only the sixth time in Rick Insell's 21 seasons — and just the fourth time in CUSA — that the Blue Raiders have not been selected as the preseason favorite.
SCOUTING THE BONNIES
» St. Bonaventure enters the matchup with a 17-15, 7-11 A10 record.
» The Bonnies are coming off a 69-67 overtime win over Drexel in the first round of the WNIT.
» A pair of Bonnie are averaging double figures in scoring: Laycee Drake (15.5) and Aaliyah Parker (12.7).
» Drake is also grabbing a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game and is handing out a team-best 2.6 assists per game.
» St. Bonaventure finished ninth in the A10 standings this season.
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).
