LADY RAIDER BB CUSA Tournament Championship: Middle Tennessee (27-4, 18-2) vs Western Kentucky (19-12, 14-6), CBSSN, 4:30PM, Saturday, March 11, 2023

[SpaceRaider]

Location: Bowling Green, Ky.
Founded: 1906 Enrollment: 16,750
Colors: Red & White Nickname: Lady Toppers
Series: Series tied 34-32 (from Feb 26, 1977 - Feb 9, 2023)
Facility: E.A. Diddle Arena
Head Coach: Greg Collins Record at WKU: 67-50 (4) Overall: Same
2021-22 Record: 18-12 2022 Postseason: None
Starters Ret./Lost: 4/1 Letterwinners R/L: 8/4


GoBlueRaiders.com, Murfreesboro – WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM, Smyrna – WGNS 100.5 FM – The Varsity Network App

Saturday, March 11 | 4:30 p.m.
Frisco, Texas | Ford Center at The Star
Watch: CBS Sports Network

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• MATCHUP HISTORY
• MT GAME NOTES
• WKU GAME NOTES

 

[SpaceRaider]

SERIES HISTORY (from wku game notes)

Overall Middle Tennessee leads, 48-34
Series began 1924-25
Last meeting 2/9/23
Current streak Loss, 2
Last Lady Topper win 2/26/22 (97-93 OT)
Last Blue Raider win 2/9/23 (94-81)
Against MIddle Tenn at home 24-16
Against MIddle Tenn away 9-29
Against Middle Tenn at neutral site 1-3
Against teams from Tennessee 125-119

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
1/23/21 Bowling Green L, 77-60
1/29/22 Murfreesboro L, 71-64
2/26/22 Bowling Green W, 97-93 OT
12/31/22 Bowling Green L, 80-75
2/9/23 Murfreesboro L, 94-81

 

[SpaceRaider]

Lady Toppers Set for Battle Against Middle Tennessee in C-USA Championship Game - Western Kentucky University Athletics

FRISCO, Texas — WKU women's basketball will take on nationally ranked Middle Tennessee (No. 25) on Saturday afternoon in the Conference USA Championship fi...

wkusports.com

 

[MTOleBlue]

Big time matchup today against our biggest rival… think they’ll be motivated!

 

[SpaceRaider]

Box scores from the two previous meetings

Women's Basketball vs WKU on 12/31/2022 - Box Score - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

The official box score of Women's Basketball vs WKU on 12/31/2022

goblueraiders.com

Women's Basketball vs WKU on 2/9/2023 - Box Score - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

The official box score of Women's Basketball vs WKU on 2/9/2023

goblueraiders.com

 

[SpaceRaider]

The score for those top 7 Lady Raiders in the previous games, both wins for MT which was not at full strength either time...

Wheeler - / 37
Gregory 26 / 19
Whittington 4 / 13
Whitson 15 / -
Boldyreva 4 / 13
Malashka 19 / 4
Blakley 8 / 5

 

[MTOleBlue]

Blue Raiders favored by -11.5 today according to the Vegas line!

 

[MTFAN61]

Will have to rely on a lot of adrenaline from our top players. Gregory had a great game, but also played 40 minutes yesterday. Others play a minimum of 30-35 per game. 3rd game in 3 days & we don't use a big rotation. Not sure how many WKU rotates, but they have played us tough both games & are good shooters.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Tip off at 5:42pm ET/4:42pm CT

 

[MTOleBlue]

WAY too many turnovers. Bad passing, gotta stop that

 

[tyler90wm]

Tied 15-15 after a quarter. Way too many TOs. I know WKU is good at forcing TOs, but a lot of those weren't even forced by the defense, sloppy passing. Clean those up and I think we have a good lead

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

Hopefully so but WKU is eventually going to start nailing some three pointers.

 

[MTFAN61]

Boldyreva needs to stop fumbling with the ball when rebounding. Stop playing hot potato. Shorter WKU guards just stripping it out of her hands

 

[MTFAN61]

This has been some of our best 1st half 3 point shooting seen in a while

 

[MTOleBlue]

Hopefully so but WKU is eventually going to start nailing some three pointers.

MAKE THAT US!! 7 threes so far.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Boldyreva needs to stop fumbling with the ball when rebounding. Stop playing hot potato. Shorter WKU guards just stripping it out of her hands

And get up off her feet more. She's got the size and skill, just gotta get stronger I think

 

[tyler90wm]

We are shooting really well from 3, but that's a product of the defense WKU is playing. They're trying to defend the paint which is leaving our players wide open 3s.

 

[MTOleBlue]

We are shooting really well from 3, but that's a product of the defense WKU is playing. They're trying to defend the paint which is leaving our players wide open 3s.

Finally we're actually HITTING those 3s though. Not a repeat of that UTSA disaster so far lol

 

[MTOleBlue]

What a QUARTER!! Blakely is absolutely on fire. 32-16 in those 10 minutes, incredible performance. 47-31 at the half. Keep this up!

 

[tyler90wm]

Finally we're actually HITTING those 3s though. Not a repeat of that UTSA disaster so far lol

Very nice to see; doubt we can sustain that all game but what a great 2nd quarter!

 

[MTFAN61]

Great defensive effort this half, really made WKU work incredibly hard every time down the floor. Malashka destroying it inside. Are we sure she doesn't have some eligibility left?

 

[MTOleBlue]

CBS halftime show impressed by the Raiders, saying win or lose we should be in no matter what - "resume speaks for itself." I agree! But we want that "cherry on top" as she said!

 

[MTOleBlue]

Great defensive effort this half, really made WKU work incredibly hard every time down the floor. Malashka destroying it inside. Are we sure she doesn't have some eligibility left?

If only!! LOL

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

Very nice to see; doubt we can sustain that all game but what a great 2nd quarter!

Yep, AWESOME quarter. I like it but I was at Western last year when we were up big in the 4th so let's dominate the 3rd and break their spirit. Ironically and switching gears, seeing the half time show they are talking about how we should be in yet nothing is certain until our name is called. While I want to leave no doubt with a win, I would hate to see that Mercer game haunt us. Hearing coach talk about that one, they put a stop watch on the final series and the last 5 seconds took over 6. In addition, the player who spearheaded it was playing with five fouls. In the event something crazy happens and we are out because of that, it's gonna sting hard.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Continuing to pour it on them.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Too much wild passing in the end of this quarter. Gotta get the composure back.

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

Not taking care of the ball again. Up 17 but Western is very capable of making a run. Keep our heads screwed on and at least play even for the next five minutes and we will be hard to catch.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Gregory should be the MVP. Just incredible performance - again - by her.

 

[MTOleBlue]

CALL A DAMN TIMEOUT IF YOU ARE TURNING THE BALL OVER SO MUCH. Good lord

 

[MTOleBlue]

AND... WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!! NCAA tournament here we come!!

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[SpaceRaider]

Blue Raiders favored by -11.5 today according to the Vegas line!

pretty damn close

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

I see Hayes made the all-tournament team. It will be interesting to see if she stays at Western with her family history. She is definitely talented and from what I saw at least, didn't seem to have the attitude issues some of her other family did. Then again, she did quit the team her senior year of high school. If she does WKU, UTEP and Middle are going to have some battles next year. That's next year though. We are the ones wearing dancing shoes this year!

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[MidTennFootball]

I see Hayes made the all-tournament team. It will be interesting to see if she stays at Western with her family history. She is definitely talented and from what I saw at least, didn't seem to have the attitude issues some of her other family did. Then again, she did quit the team her senior year of high school. If she does WKU, UTEP and Middle are going to have some battles next year. That's next year though. We are the ones wearing dancing shoes this year!

Would def be great for the conference to so you don't feel like you have to win the tourney to get in. Hopefully C-USA will be well represented in the NIT

 

[MTFAN61]

One thing Rick said is absolutely correct, he wants more of a post presence to open up the outside game. And when the kick out happens it opens things up for Malashka on the interior. 1 serves the other. I've been critical about too many quick consecutive 3's & lack of time outs being used effectively. But in this I totally agree with him. That 2nd quarter was a prime example. Hopefully we can get more quarters like that going in the big dance.

 

[SpaceRaider]

No. 25 Lady Raiders dominated C-USA Championship to punch ticket to NCAA Tournament - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

FRISCO, Texas — No. 25 Middle Tennessee women's basketball won the 2023 Conference USA Tournament on Saturday evening in the Ford Center at The Star, doubling up

goblueraiders.com

 

[MTOleBlue]

We had 18 turnovers in this one. If we had half of that, it would've been a 30 point win, at least. Seems to me that we are hitting our stride.