Can Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Douse the Flames at Murphy Center?
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders emerged victorious with a 69-61 win over the Liberty Flames. The home game for the Blue Raiders saw them improve their record, while the visiting Flames' record took a hit. The first half ended closely with Middle Tennessee leading by a slim margin of 33-30.
The Blue Raiders showcased their defensive skills by accumulating seven steals and two blocks, which contributed to their ability to control the game's tempo. Their offense was equally impressive, especially from beyond the arc where they shot an impressive 44 percent, making 10 three-pointers out of 23 attempts. This sharpshooting was crucial in establishing and maintaining their lead throughout the game.
Middle Tennessee also excelled at capitalizing on turnovers, scoring 16 points off turnovers compared to nine by Liberty. These extra opportunities were pivotal in building momentum and keeping pressure on the Flames. Additionally, fast break points were a highlight for Middle Tennessee as they outpaced Liberty with 15 fast break points.
Free throws were another area where Middle Tennessee shone brightly; they made an outstanding 93 percent of their free throws, sinking 13 out of 14 attempts. This accuracy from the charity stripe helped them seal their victory in critical moments of the match.
On top of that, MTU's ball distribution was noteworthy as well; they tallied up more assists than Liberty with a total of twelve assists which reflected better team cohesion and offensive fluidity.
While MTU dominated several aspects of this encounter, it is important to acknowledge that Liberty put up a strong fight too. They managed to shoot an efficient field goal percentage at nearly half (49 percent) and excelled particularly in two-point shots with an impressive success rate of 68 percent inside the arc.
However, despite these efforts from Liberty including scoring more points in paint (34), it wasn't enough to overcome MTU's overall performance which included better rebounding numbers – grabbing one more total rebound than Liberty – indicative of slight dominance on both ends of the floor.
Looking ahead after this conference game triumph at Murphy Center witnessed by an attendance crowd numbering two thousand eight hundred six fans under Central Time Zone skies; The next challenge for Middle Tennessee will be against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Thomas Assembly Center located in Ruston LA on March ninth scheduled for two o'clock PM Central Time broadcasted via ESPN+.