Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Thursday, March 26
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6:30 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
17-16,11-7CUSA
56
vs
66
Cleveland State
26-9,13-7Horizon
1st quarter1
2nd quarter2
3rd quarter3
4th quarter4
FinalF
Cleveland St.
14
17
11
24
66
Middle Tenn.
14
15
9
18
56
Middle Tennessee Fights to the Finish in Rick Insell’s Final Game
3/26/2026 9:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee (17-16, 11-7) falls to Cleveland State (26-9, 13-7 Horizon League) on Thursday night at Murphy Center, 66-56.
This game marked the end of Rick Insell's 20th season as head coach, concluding with 506 career wins.
The Blue Raiders began the game slowly, trailing 12-3 before going on a 9-2 run that tied the game at 14-14 in the first quarter. By halftime, they had managed to reduce the deficit to two points, with a score of 31-29.
In the third quarter, with 1:49 remaining, the Blue Raiders went on a 5-0 run, bringing the score to 38-42. Senior Alayna Contreras opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 41-44, but that was as close as they would get.
Freshmen Blair Baugus and Macie Phifer each led Middle Tennessee with 17 points, with Phifer hitting a late three-pointer that cut the margin to six in the closing minutes. Contreras added nine points and five assists to the team's efforts.
Coach's Comments:
By the Numbers:
24: The Blue Raiders recorded a total of 24 rebounds, with Baugus contributing six boards and Phifer adding five.
18: MTSU recorded 18 points from 15 forced turnovers.
506: Head Coach Rick Insell concludes his career with a record of 506 wins.
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).
This game marked the end of Rick Insell's 20th season as head coach, concluding with 506 career wins.
The Blue Raiders began the game slowly, trailing 12-3 before going on a 9-2 run that tied the game at 14-14 in the first quarter. By halftime, they had managed to reduce the deficit to two points, with a score of 31-29.
In the third quarter, with 1:49 remaining, the Blue Raiders went on a 5-0 run, bringing the score to 38-42. Senior Alayna Contreras opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 41-44, but that was as close as they would get.
Freshmen Blair Baugus and Macie Phifer each led Middle Tennessee with 17 points, with Phifer hitting a late three-pointer that cut the margin to six in the closing minutes. Contreras added nine points and five assists to the team's efforts.
Coach's Comments:
By the Numbers:
24: The Blue Raiders recorded a total of 24 rebounds, with Baugus contributing six boards and Phifer adding five.
18: MTSU recorded 18 points from 15 forced turnovers.
506: Head Coach Rick Insell concludes his career with a record of 506 wins.
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
CSU
MTSU
FG%
.473
.375
3FG%
.353
.286
FT%
.667
.615
RB
43
24
TO
23
15
STL
12
9
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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