Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Edge Past Charlotte 49ers at Murphy Athletic Center
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders secured a narrow victory over the Charlotte 49ers with a final score of 62-58. The Blue Raiders now hold an improved record, while the 49ers' record takes a hit after this encounter.
In front of a crowd of 3,304 at the Murphy Athletic Center in Murfreesboro, the home team displayed resilience and determination. The first half was closely contested, with Middle Tennessee trailing by one point as they posted 26 against Charlotte's 27. However, the second half saw a shift in momentum as Middle Tennessee outscored their opponents by five points to seal their win.
The Blue Raiders showcased their defensive capabilities by accumulating four blocks and surpassing the 49ers with twelve steals to Charlotte's nine. This defensive pressure contributed to twenty-one points off turnovers for Middle Tennessee compared to fourteen for Charlotte.
Offensively, Middle Tennessee demonstrated efficiency inside the paint scoring thirty-six points compared to twenty-eight by Charlotte. Their fast break opportunities were capitalized on more effectively as well, notching fifteen fast break points which surpassed that of their opponents who managed only three.
Middle Tennessee also had better success on second-chance opportunities with thirteen second-chance points whereas Charlotte could only muster two. Despite being slightly outperformed in field goal percentage—Charlotte shot fifty percent from the field—the Blue Raiders made up ground at the free-throw line where they shot approximately seventy-four percent.
Rebounding was another area where Middle Tennessee held an edge over their rivals; they grabbed twenty-seven rebounds including eleven offensive boards which provided them additional scoring chances.
Key players for Middle Tennessee included those who contributed significantly across various statistical categories such as assists and turnovers ratio where they edged out Charlotte with an assists turnover ratio of zero point five against zero point forty-seven for their opponents.
As fans look ahead, they can anticipate seeing the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders take on Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston on January 21st at 4:00 PM Central Time. This game will be available for viewing on ESPN+, allowing fans to follow all live action from wherever they are.