Middle Tennessee opens WNIT with 69-50 win over St. Bonaventure

Monday, March 23

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

17-15,11-7CUSA

St. Bonaventure

17-16,7-11Atlantic 10

St. Bonaventure

Middle Tenn.

3/23/2026 8:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Anthony Fiorella

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It hasn't been the easiest end of the year for Middle Tennessee (17-15, 11-7 CUSA) sophomore Savannah Davis. Over her last eight games, the sharpshooter had fallen into a 7-for-33 slump from the field.

Surrounded by three St. Bonaventure (17-16, 7-11 A10) defenders, Davis rose up with just as much confidence as ever and nailed a 38-footer as the buzzer rang to end the third quarter to put the Blue Raiders up 54-43. Davis, with a big smile on her face surrounded by her teammates, celebrated her big shot and the end of that slump in a 69-50 win in the opening round of the WNIT. When it was all said and done, Davis finished with 14 points and hit a career-high four three's, shooting 4-of-7 from the distance. Davis' four threes is tied for second in program history for made threes in a postseason game.

Middle Tennessee got off to an early 11-2 run to begin the game, forcing the Bonnies to shoot 1-of-4 in that stretch. The Blue Raiders didn't allow St. Bonaventure to score a point until the 6:01 mark of the first quarter. During the run, Middle Tennessee saw all five starters make at least one basket. Middle Tennessee closed the first quarter with an 18-10 lead, led by Blair Baugus with six points and three rebounds. Kirston Verhulst had two points, five rebounds and three assists and Macie Phifer had five points two rebounds and two steals.

St. Bonaventure cut the lead down to as little as two, but Savannah Davis came off the Blue Raider bench and hit a pair of threes along with one from Verhulst to grow the lead back to nine with 4:00 minutes to play in the first half. Davis' hot shooting helped Middle Tennessee take a 39-27 lead into the locker room. The sophomore finished the half with 11 points and was 3-of-3 from deep, also tallying an assist that was part of a 19-7 run to close the half. Baugus was near a double-double with 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Bonnies once again went on a big run to get themselves back in it, going on a 10-1 run from the 5:51 down to the 1:55 mark of the third quarter to trim the lead to five. Middle Tennessee did a good job of getting to the free throw line to stop the run and led 54-43 going into the fourth quarter following Davis' big three-pointer.

Baugus picked up her 15th double-double of the year by notching a team-high 20 points and 14 rebounds as part of her sixth 20-plus point game of the year. Baugus is now one double-double and 15 rebounds short of program records for freshman held by Ebony Rowe (16 double-doubles and 313 rebounds).

Verhulst tallied 11 points with a career-high eight rebounds and five assists. Alayna Contreras finished with 12 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and Phifer finished with seven points and five rebounds.

 Coach's Comments    

By the Numbers
 21: With tonight's win, Middle Tennessee will have had a winning record in all 21 seasons of Rick Insell's Hall of Fame tenure.
15: Double-double's on the year for Blair Baugus, one shy of Ebony Rowe's record of 16 for freshman.
4: Career-high in threes for Savannah Davis.
8: Career-high in rebounds for Kirston Verhulst. 

 UP NEXT:
Middle Tennessee will play Cleveland State at home in the Super 16 round on Thursday, March 26th at 6:30 p.m. CDT.

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