Will the Blue Raiders Ride the Wave of Home Advantage Against Aggies?

As the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders gear up to face the New Mexico State Aggies at Murphy Athletic Center, fans are eager to see if home-court advantage will play a pivotal role in this encounter. The Blue Raiders have had a mixed bag of performances in their recent outings, which could make for an unpredictable showdown.

In their last game against Southern Utah Thunderbirds, despite putting up a valiant effort and leading at halftime with 37 points compared to 31, they ultimately fell short by six points. The team showed strength inside with 46 points in the paint and a solid two-point shooting percentage of 62 percent. However, turnovers were an issue as they gave up possession 16 times.

The previous game saw them struggle offensively against Saint Mary's Gaels. Scoring only 34 points overall and shooting at just 28 percent from both field goals and two-point range indicates that there might be concerns about their offensive consistency. Their defense managed seven blocks but was unable to contain Saint Mary's who put up 71 points.

However, looking back further to their matchup with Belmont Bruins provides some optimism for fans. The Blue Raiders secured a win with a score of 65-75 on home turf where they shot better from the field at a rate of 40 percent and kept turnovers down to twelve.

The upcoming game promises to be an intriguing battle as Middle Tennessee looks to capitalize on its strong paint presence while addressing turnover issues that have plagued them in past games. With home support behind them at Murphy Athletic Center, it will be interesting to see if they can harness this energy into delivering a more consistent performance across both halves.

Fans can catch all the action on ESPN+ when these teams face off on February 16th at half-past midnight UTC (February 15th local time).