Middle Tennessee's Rally Falls Short Against UTEP at Don Haskins Center

In a hard-fought conference game, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders faced off against the UTEP Miners at the Don Haskins Center. The Blue Raiders, unable to overcome a persistent Miner offense, fell 59-73. This result moves their season record to an even split.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders started strong in the first half with 25 points but found themselves trailing as the Miners secured 34 points. Despite a valiant effort in the second half where they scored 34 points, it was not enough to close the gap created by UTEP's consistent scoring.

The Blue Raiders showcased impressive accuracy from two-point range with a remarkable 72 percent shooting success rate and made 18 of their two-point attempts. Their overall field goal percentage stood at a solid 47 percent as they made 22 out of their total of 47 field goal attempts. However, struggles from beyond the arc were evident as they only converted four out of their twenty-two three-point attempts, culminating in an eighteen percent success rate for three-point shots.

On defense, Middle Tennessee managed to block three shots and steal possession six times throughout the game. They also demonstrated tenacity on rebounds with thirty-five total rebounds—twenty-one defensive and eleven offensive—contributing significantly to second-chance opportunities that resulted in eleven second-chance points.

Despite these efforts, turnovers proved costly for Middle Tennessee as they committed twenty-seven throughout the game which translated into eighteen points off turnovers for UTEP. The team also recorded ten assists but had difficulty maintaining possession which reflected in an assists turnover ratio of just zero point thirty-seven.

UTEP capitalized on fast breaks scoring twenty-four fast break points and showed defensive strength with sixteen steals leading to twenty-eight points off turnovers. Their free throw performance was notable too; hitting seventy-two percent from the line by making twenty-one out of twenty-nine attempts contributed greatly to maintaining their lead over Middle Tennessee.

Looking ahead after this tough loss on foreign ground, fans can anticipate seeing how Middle Tennessee will regroup when they visit New Mexico State Aggies at Pan American Center located in Las Cruces on January twentieth at eight PM Central Time Zone (20:00). This upcoming match will be available for viewing via ESPN+ network online broadcasts.