Women’s Basketball: Season ends for Middle Tennessee in heartbreake
March 21, 2010
PITTSBURGH - No. 27/24 Middle Tennessee led for 38 minutes but could not close the door as Mississippi State rallied for a 68-64 victory Sunday in NCAA Tournament First Round action at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Dayton Region contest pitted the No. 10 seed Blue Raiders and No. 7 seed Bulldogs.
Middle Tennessee (25-6) placed all five starters in double figures and jumped out to a double-digit lead in both halves, including a game-high 15-point cushion at 9:11 of the first period when All-American Alysha Clark grabbed a backcourt steal and raced to the other end for a layup to make it 21-11.
The Blue Raiders had netted the game’s first four points and withstood a 5-2 Mississippi State push to keep the margin at one, 6-5, with 16:17 remaining in the stanza. Middle Tennessee responded with a 10-2 run, capped by an Anne Marie Lanning 3-pointer, forcing a MSU timeout and extending the lead to nine, 16-7, at 13:25. After the Bulldogs cut the deficit back to five, 16-11, with exactly 12 minutes to play, Clark’s layup was part of a 10-0 Blue Raider surge during the next three minutes to increase the gap to the game-high 15.
The MT advantage remained in double figures at 10, 27-17, when Clark was called for her third personal foul with 4:13 left, sending her to the bench the remainder of the half. Mississippi State (20-12) then took control, outscoring the Blue Raiders 11-3 down the stretch, featuring four points from Armelie Lumanu and four by Alexis Rack to enter the halftime with Middle Tennessee ahead, 30-28.
The Blue Raiders kept the margin at five following a Brandi Brown triple (upper left photo) with 18:01 to play and Chelsia Lymon adding another just under two minutes later as the teams entered the first media timeout of the second stanza with MT in front, 42-37. After an icy first half, Jackie Pickel started to light up in the second period and her 3-pointer with 13:24 remaining put Middle Tennessee ahead, 47-41.
Mississippi State, however, would not go away and four-straight points, capped by a Rack trey at 11:46, cut the gap again to one, 47-46. The Blue Raiders then went back to Clark, and her layup a minute-and-a-half later ignited an 11-2 run during the next four minutes helped propel MT back in front, 58-48, with 7:48 to go.
The lead remained nine, 64-55, on another Lanning 3-pointer, but Rack countered with one of her own and scored twice more in a 9-0 Bulldog spurt to tie the game at 64-64 with 1:27 to play. Middle Tennessee was only able to manage one more shot, a layup attempt by Clark at 1:12, while Lumanu recorded the final four points for Mississippi State to seal the final score.
Chanel Mokango led the Bulldogs with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Rack chipped in a game-best 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Lumanu added 12 points for Mississippi State.
Clark paced the Blue Raiders with 17 points and 14 rebounds for her 75th career double-double, 37th at Middle Tennessee and 20th of the season. She finishes in a tie for fourth with LSU’s Sylvia Fowles on the NCAA’s all-time list with 75 double-doubles, while her 37 double-doubles tie for third in school history. She netted 2,852 career points, ranking 12th in NCAA history.
Brown added 14 points, including four triples, while Lymon, Pickel and Lanning each contributed 11 points. Lymon, Pickel and Brown each hauled in five rebounds.
Senior Dana Garrett also stepped onto the floor for the final time as a Blue Raider, playing five minutes with one assist.
Mississippi State advances to Second Round action Tuesday to face No. 2 seed and eighth-ranked Ohio State.
Baseball: Middle Tennessee sweeps doubleheader
March 21, 2010
JONESBORO, Ark. - Chad Edwards pitched a complete game shutout for the Blue Raiders as they took home their second series victory of the season on Saturday evening at Arkansas State, 2-0.
Edwards’ complete game was the first by a Middle Tennessee pitcher this season. The senior allowed seven hits and one walk over nine innings.
"Edwards pitched a heck of a ball game," said Head Coach Steve Peterson. "Arkansas State is a good club, and Chad really hit his spots and dominated the strike zone."
Middle Tennessee recorded seven hits for the game from seven different hitters. Justin Miller led the way, going 1-3 and scoring two runs. BothTyler Burnett and Ryan Ford went 1-4 at the plate with a run batted in.
The Blue Raiders opened the scoring in the second with a run. Miller reached on a one-out single through the left side, and advanced on aDrew Robertson single through the right side. A two-out single by Burnett brought home Miller for the score.
Middle Tennessee tacked on another run in the seventh. Miller opened up with a walk and advanced to second on a Robertson sacrifice bunt, and Ford singled in the run.
In game one, the Blue Raiders rallied from being down 4-0 early to win 8-5.
Seven of the eight runs for Middle Tennessee were scored with two outs recorded in the inning. Miller starred in the first game as well, going 3-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Burnett, Zach Hudson, Tyler Acker and Stuart Meinhart also put together multi-hit games for the Blue Raiders, who outhit the Red Wolves 16-10.
Hunter Adkins started for the Blue Raiders, but pitched just two and one-third innings, allowing four earned runs and five hits while walking four.Justin Guidry pitched three and one-third strong innings and allowed just a single run. Nick Montgomery earned his fifth win of the season, giving up just two hits and a walk in the final three and one-third innings.
The Blue Raiders will head home for four games next week, starting with Belmont on Wednesday at 6PM.
Men’s Tennis: Blue Raiders fall 4-1 to No. 44 Penn State
March 21, 2010
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Middle Tennessee rounded out play at the 2010 Blue Gray Classic against No. 44 Penn State Saturday afternoon falling 4-1.
Photo ID: Sophomore Richard Cowden teamed with freshman Shaun Waters to defeat Ryan Gormley and Warren Hardie 8-6 and give the Blue Raiders the doubles point on Saturday afternoon.
Middle Tennessee began play by taking the doubles point for a 1-0 lead. Juniors John Peers and Kyle Wishing teamed up taking an 8-2 win over Eddie Bourchier and Jason Lee. Then sophomore Richard Cowden and freshman Shaun Waters pulled out their match 8-6 over Ryan Gormley and Warren Hardie.
“With Victor Melo out of lineup we had to rearrange the doubles lineup. Kyle and John had a good win and then Richard and Shaun got the W to give us the doubles point. They were up 6-2 and made it more difficult than it needed to be but pulled it out in the end,” head coach David McNamara said.
Penn State did not take singles lightly as it opened with Guillaume St-Maurice taking a 6-0, 6-0 win over Wishing. Then Langley fell 6-2, 6-3 to Bryan Weinetz as the Nittany Lion took a 2-1 lead.
Wrapping up play for the Blue Raiders in the match, senior Alex McCann fell 6-4, 6-2 to Hardie while Cowden lost his match 6-3, 6-2 to Gormley..
“To play Penn State tough like we did without Victor and were capable of beating them was good to see. However as has been the case in other matches this season we had a hard time closing at the end and winning close points,” McNamara said. “The biggest message to team is when we play the Sun Belt Shootout it will give us a good idea of where we are in league. I feel we have a shot at winning it especially with the way we have played against top teams this season. It was brought to my attention other day that the team who has won Sun Belt Shootout last few years has gone on to win the conference tournament. The guys need to keep getting better individually and if they continue to do that then we will be better as a team.
Middle Tennessee will be back in action on Sunday, March 28 at noon when it plays host to East Tennessee State. It will be the first match of the season at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
#44 Penn State 4, Middle Tennessee 1
Singles
1. Eddie Bourchier (PSU) vs. #43 John Peers (MT) 6-3, 3-6, 2-0, unfinished
2. Ryan Gormley (PSU) def. Richard Cowden (MT) 6-3, 6-2
3. Jason Lee (PSU) vs. Shaun Waters (MT) 7-6, 1-1, unfinished
4. Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Alex McCann (MT) 6-4, 6-2
5. Bryan Weinetz (PSU) def. Matthew Langley (MT) 6-2, 6-3
6. G. St-Maurice (PSU) def. Kyle Wishing (MT) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Kyle Wishing/John Peers (MT) def. Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) 8-2
2. Richard Cowden/Shaun Waters (MT) def. Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) 8-6
3. G. St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Matthew Langley/Alex McCann (MT) 8-4
Match Notes:
Middle Tennessee 4-14
Penn State 12-3; National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,5,4,2)
Football: Blue Raiders have record Pro Day
March 19, 2010
More than two dozen professional football scouts were on hand at Middle Tennessee to watch the outgoing seniors work out at the annual Pro Day on Thursday. It was by far the most in Blue Raider history, and is another indicator of the growth of the Middle Tennessee football program.
"The main thing is that it shows that we have some good players. Scouts are coming and they don’t have to come," said Blue Raider head coach Rick Stockstill. "I tell our players all the time that you have to give them a reason to come. What they see on tape and at games and fall practices, you have to give them a reason to come.
"We have good players scouts want to come and evaluate, and that shows the growth and maturity of our program. Each year we have progressed more. The scouts know when they come here that our players are going to be first class, fun to work out and deal with, and our coaches will cooperate and give them everything they need. They know this is a first class program they are coming to."
Twenty-two NFL teams were represented in the drills which included speed, quickness, agility and athleticism. Also on hand were three scouts from the National Arena Football League’s Nashville Storm and one from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Four agents were also interested bystanders.
The NFL teams on hand were the Ravens, Colts, Saints, Redskins, Cowboys, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, Falcons, Buccaneers, Eagles, Texans, Chiefs, Titans, Bears, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Dolphins, Steelers, Giants, and Patriots.
Mike Ackerley of the Tennessee Titans was one of the NFL scouts on hand, and explained how the process worked.
"We have an idea of what to expect from watching tape and evaluating them during the year, and we also watch them play. We watched Middle play two or three times last year," said Ackerley. "We have a little bit of an idea of the guys we are interested in, and this is just a confirmation of what we, hopefully, already know."
Ackerley noted that, at this point in the year, all of the scouts basically work on their own, although they do work together in running the drills.
"We work together in splitting the groups up, and we also share times and that sort of thing. It goes faster and smoother for the players as well. But basically, you are still working on your own, because you have certain things that you are looking for."
How do they decide who to look at?
"Typically, when we go to a school, we work out all of the players that a coach recommends, or think that they might have a chance to go on to the NFL," said Ackerley. "If we wanted to come in and look at just the players that we want, we’d just look at them, but we try to help the colleges by taking a look at some others and giving them an opportunity.
"And you never know. You just might find someone with size and speed that you could develop, and you go back and look at tape on them, and then decide if you want to invite them to camp."
Dash and agility times varied according to position. Times for the 40-yard dash were also recorded at the ten and twenty yard lines to measure acceleration. "L" drills, 60-yard shuttles and Pro shuttles were included. In the weight room, both vertical jumps and 225-lb reps were recorded.
Perhaps the most impressive were LB Danny Carmichael, CB Alex Suber, WR Patrick Honeycutt and DE Chris McCoy.
In the weight room, Honeycutt and Suber had the two best vertical jumps at 42" and 39 inches, respectively. LB Cam Robinson was third with 37".
In the 225-lb reps, Carmichael lifted the bar 24 times, followed by McCoy with 23 and DT Brandon Perry with 22.
The sprints and agility drills were held on Horace Jones Field. In the 40-yard dash, Suber and WR Desmond Gee tied for the quickest time at 4.53. WR Chris McClover was third at 4.57, with cornerback Marcus Udell clocking in at 4.59
For acceleration, Carmichael and Udell tied at 1.59 seconds for ten yards, while McClover led the 20-yard dash at 2.61 seconds, followed by Suber and Honeycutt at 2.62.
Carmichael blew away the field in the Pro Shuttle, with a time of 4.09 seconds. Honeycutt was second at 4.15, and Carmichael’s second attempt was 3rd fastest at 4.19. . Honeycutt noted that he, Suber, Carmichael and Michael Cannon had been training hard under the watchful eye of Jason Spray.
"Today was test day, and we came to show the scouts what we could do," said Honeycutt. "Last night we were all really nervous, but when you are out there with all those scouts watching, you tend to do better. We just performed to the best of our ability.
"I feel like I had the best day I could possibly have, and that’s what I needed to get noticed by the scouts. Hopefully, I made an impression on a couple of teams. Hopefully, there is one team out there that will give me a chance."
Alex Suber was pleased overall, but felt he could have done a bit better in a couple of areas.
"It was a lot like I have seen out here before, but a lot more scouts this time. The more the merrier. We get more looks that way. I am going to continue to train hard, and hopefully get some phone calls."
Brandon Perry, who is banking on a successful senior year, felt like he did all right despite being a late bloomer.
"I had some ups and downs with times, but did okay in the weight room. This was the biggest crowd we’ve had in the five years that I have been here. It was a great experience. I am going to keep working out and trying to get better."
Cam Robinson was hampered somewhat by an old injury that kept him out of one drill, but felt like he did pretty well anyway.
"With the talent we had this year, I was expecting a big crowd," said Robinson. "Chris McCoy, Danny Carmichael and Alex Suber brought them in, but we all got to show our talents. Hopefully, after the draft, if my name doesn’t get called, I can sign a free agent deal and earn a position on a team."
What happens next for the players who showcased their talents and skills today? Ackerley said that the next step was a series of evaluations, and then the staff would meet to talk about the draft,
"Typically, we have our last staff meetings about two weeks before the draft, and we talk about everybody. When those meetings are over with, we have everybody lined up on the board the way we want them, and the free agents lined up the way we want them. We assign levels to everybody. We have a priority level and a secondary level, and that’s the way we do it."
Tennis: Blue Raiders play well against No. 38 Notre Dame
March 19, 2010
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Middle Tennessee performed well against No. 38 Notre Dame in its opening match of the Blue Gray Classic but the Irish pulled out the win late in the match.
Left Photo: Junior Kyle Wishing teamed with junior John Peers to defeat the Irish’s No. 61 Steven Havens and Casey Watt 8-4.
Sophomore Richard Cowden and freshman Shaun Waters fell 8-3 to David Anderson and Daniel Stahl to open doubles play.
Then juniors John Peers and Kyle Wishing defeated No. 61 Steven Havens and Casey Watt 8-4. Senior Victor Melo and sophomore Matthew Langley battled in No. 2 doubles to Niall Fitzgerald and Tyler Davis but fell 8-6 as the Irish took the doubles point and a 1-0 lead to begin play.
“I have to give a lot of credit to John and Kyle. They beat a ranked team and that is huge for Kyle. It’s the first win over a ranked player in his career and it shows him he can play with these top players. I am very proud of his progression the last three years and he is playing with a lot of confidence right now. What he is doing in doubles is impressive and John, who is a great doubles player, has really helped Kyle with his game and his confidence,” head coach David McNamara said. “We had an opportunity in No. 2 doubles and we had a number of chances to win points but were unable close at the end.”
Melo opened singles play with his 6-1, 6-2 over Havens to knot the score at 1.
“Victor probably played his best match of season and had passion and desire to finish this guy off. He has struggle this season with closing out matches and did not have an issue with it today. He and John are both leading the team and doing a great job helping our team get to where we want to be,” McNamara said.
Then Blas Moros defeated Langley 6-3, 6-3 in No. 6 singles and Waters lost his match 6-3, 6-4 to Anderson putting Notre Dame up 3-1.
Peers, ranked 43rd in singles, closed the gap as he defeated No. 27 Watt 7-5, 6-4 for his 12th consecutive singles win.
“John had a great win today beating another top ranked player. Since the fall he has played five Top-10 players, seven in the Top-20, he is playing with these guys and is beginning to believe he is a Top-20 player. John is really doing great on and off the courts and I am really proud of the way he is playing right now,” McNamara said.
Notre Dame sealed the win as Stahl defeated Cowden 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 in No. 3 singles.
“After we lost doubles point I told the team individually someone is going to have to beat someone they aren’t supposed to beat and until that happens it will continue to be close matches. We can’t afford to have one or two players not show up to play and that is what is happening right now which is really hurting our chances to pull away and win matches,” McNamara said. “What is really frustrating is that all of these teams who are supposed to be really good teams and yet we are constantly close to winning and in situations to win. We are giving ourselves chances but not finishing points and sets the way we need to for us to be successful.”
The Blue Raiders will be back in action Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. when they face No. 71 Boise State.
Middle Tennessee played Boise State last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament losing 4-0. The Blue Raiders will be looking for a different outcome tomorrow when they hit the courts.
“Ultimately we are still a work in progress. There are nine matches until the conference tournament and I still believe we have a shot at causing a few headaches in the tournament,” McNamara said. “Boise State lost their No. 1 and 2 players but had a really good player become eligible last week so they will be a tough team. We are going to go out there and compete like we do every match and I feel if everyone comes ready to play we have a really good possibility at taking a win.”
#38 Notre Dame 4, Middle Tennessee 2
Singles
1. #43 John Peers (MT) def. #27 Casey Watt (ND) 7-5, 6-4
2. Victor Melo (MT) def. Steven Havens (ND) 6-1, 6-2
3. Daniel Stahl (ND) def. Richard Cowden (MT) 6-1, 1-6, 6-0
4. David Anderson (ND) def. Shaun Waters (MT) 6-3, 6-4
5. Samuel Keeton (ND) vs. Alex McCann (MT) 4-6, 6-3, unfinished
6. Blas Moros (ND) def. Matthew Langley (MT) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
1. John Peers/Kyle Wishing (MT) def. #61 David Anderson/Daniel Stahl (ND) 8-4
2. Steven Havens/Casey Watt (ND) def. Victor Melo/Matthew Langley (MT) 8-6
3. Niall Fitzgerald/Tyler Davis (ND) def. Richard Cowden/Shaun Waters (MT) 8-3
Match Notes:
Middle Tennessee 4-12
Notre Dame 8-7; National ranking #38
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,6,4,1,3)
Siegel Starts Slow, Loses to #1 Melrose in AAA Boys State
March 18, 2010
The rims were tight at the Murphy Center for the Siegel Stars, scoring only one point in the first quarter against number one Melrose in the opening round of the Triple-A Boys State Basketball Tournament. That resulted in a 78-55 Melrose victory over the Stars, in head coach Ben Dotson’s first appearance in the tournament. Siegel shot just over 30-percent for the game, but were only outscored by five after the first quarter. MTSU signee Kerry Hammonds finished the game with 15, while Marc Gooch, T.J. Mitchell and Cedrick Williams chipped in eight a piece. Siegel’s season ends with a 24-and-8 mark as the Star’s fell in their fourth ever state tournament appearance.
Blue Raiders have record Pro Day
March 18, 2010
More than two dozen professional football scouts were on hand at Middle Tennessee to watch the outgoing seniors work out at the annual Pro Day on Thursday. It was by far the most in Blue Raider history, and is another indicator of the growth of the Middle Tennessee football program.
"The main thing is that it shows that we have some good players. Scouts are coming and they don’t have to come," said Blue Raider head coach Rick Stockstill. "I tell our players all the time that you have to give them a reason to come. What they see on tape and at games and fall practices, you have to give them a reason to come.
"We have good players scouts want to come and evaluate, and that shows the growth and maturity of our program. Each year we have progressed more. The scouts know when they come here that our players are going to be first class, fun to work out and deal with, and our coaches will cooperate and give them everything they need. They know this is a first class program they are coming to."
Twenty-two NFL teams were represented in the drills which included speed, quickness, agility and athleticism. Also on hand were three scouts from the National Arena Football League’s Nashville Storm and one from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Four agents were also interested bystanders.
The NFL teams on hand were the Ravens, Colts, Saints, Redskins, Cowboys, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, Falcons, Buccaneers, Eagles, Texans, Chiefs, Titans, Bears, Browns, Vikings, Jets, Dolphins, Steelers, Giants, and Patriots.
Mike Ackerley of the Tennessee Titans was one of the NFL scouts on hand, and explained how the process worked.
"We have an idea of what to expect from watching tape and evaluating them during the year, and we also watch them play. We watched Middle play two or three times last year," said Ackerley. "We have a little bit of an idea of the guys we are interested in, and this is just a confirmation of what we, hopefully, already know."
Ackerley noted that, at this point in the year, all of the scouts basically work on their own, although they do work together in running the drills.
"We work together in splitting the groups up, and we also share times and that sort of thing. It goes faster and smoother for the players as well. But basically, you are still working on your own, because you have certain things that you are looking for."
How do they decide who to look at?
"Typically, when we go to a school, we work out all of the players that a coach recommends, or think that they might have a chance to go on to the NFL," said Ackerley. "If we wanted to come in and look at just the players that we want, we’d just look at them, but we try to help the colleges by taking a look at some others and giving them an opportunity.
"And you never know. You just might find someone with size and speed that you could develop, and you go back and look at tape on them, and then decide if you want to invite them to camp."
Dash and agility times varied according to position. Times for the 40-yard dash were also recorded at the ten and twenty yard lines to measure acceleration. "L" drills, 60-yard shuttles and Pro shuttles were included. In the weight room, both vertical jumps and 225-lb reps were recorded.
Perhaps the most impressive were LB Danny Carmichael, CB Alex Suber, WR Patrick Honeycutt and DE Chris McCoy.
In the weight room, Honeycutt and Suber had the two best vertical jumps at 42" and 39 inches, respectively. LB Cam Robinson was third with 37".
In the 225-lb reps, Carmichael lifted the bar 24 times, followed by McCoy with 23 and DT Brandon Perry with 22.
The sprints and agility drills were held on Horace Jones Field. In the 40-yard dash, Suber and WR Desmond Gee tied for the quickest time at 4.53. WR Chris McClover was third at 4.57, with cornerback Marcus Udell clocking in at 4.59
For acceleration, Carmichael and Udell tied at 1.59 seconds for ten yards, while McClover led the 20-yard dash at 2.61 seconds, followed by Suber and Honeycutt at 2.62.
Carmichael blew away the field in the Pro Shuttle, with a time of 4.09 seconds. Honeycutt was second at 4.15, and Carmichael’s second attempt was 3rd fastest at 4.19. . Honeycutt noted that he, Suber, Carmichael and Michael Cannon had been training hard under the watchful eye of Jason Spray.
"Today was test day, and we came to show the scouts what we could do," said Honeycutt. "Last night we were all really nervous, but when you are out there with all those scouts watching, you tend to do better. We just performed to the best of our ability.
"I feel like I had the best day I could possibly have, and that’s what I needed to get noticed by the scouts. Hopefully, I made an impression on a couple of teams. Hopefully, there is one team out there that will give me a chance."
Alex Suber was pleased overall, but felt he could have done a bit better in a couple of areas.
"It was a lot like I have seen out here before, but a lot more scouts this time. The more the merrier. We get more looks that way. I am going to continue to train hard, and hopefully get some phone calls."
Brandon Perry, who is banking on a successful senior year, felt like he did all right despite being a late bloomer.
"I had some ups and downs with times, but did okay in the weight room. This was the biggest crowd we’ve had in the five years that I have been here. It was a great experience. I am going to keep working out and trying to get better."
Cam Robinson was hampered somewhat by an old injury that kept him out of one drill, but felt like he did pretty well anyway.
"With the talent we had this year, I was expecting a big crowd," said Robinson. "Chris McCoy, Danny Carmichael and Alex Suber brought them in, but we all got to show our talents. Hopefully, after the draft, if my name doesn’t get called, I can sign a free agent deal and earn a position on a team."
What happens next for the players who showcased their talents and skills today? Ackerley said that the next step was a series of evaluations, and then the staff would meet to talk about the draft,
"Typically, we have our last staff meetings about two weeks before the draft, and we talk about everybody. When those meetings are over with, we have everybody lined up on the board the way we want them, and the free agents lined up the way we want them. We assign levels to everybody. We have a priority level and a secondary level, and that’s the way we do it."
Clark adds two more honors Tuesday
March 17, 2010
Middle Tennessee senior women’s basketball All-American Alysha Clark added two more accolades to her resume Tuesday when she was named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and a nominee for the WBCA/State Farm Coaches’ All-America All-Region 4 Team.
Clark was one of 22 to make the final cut for the Wooden Award, which is presented to the nation’s top player. The 22 candidates on the ballots will be sent to a distinguished panel of voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from around the nation, to cast their votes for the Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year.
All players on the ballots have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Clark is one of seven to make the final ballot for the second-straight season.
She also has earned a spot as one of six nominees from Region 4 for the WBCA/State Farm Coaches’ All-American Team and one of 52 overall. The field will be trimmed to 40 finalists, who will then be in the running for the 10-member All-American squad.
While Clark was the only Sun Belt representative on the Wooden Award list, she is joined by UALR’s Chastity Reed for the WBCA/State Farm honor.
The Blue Raider standout enters the NCAA Tournament as the nation’s leading scorer with 28.7 ppg, a year after leading the country with 27.5 ppg. Her and the rest of her Middle Tennessee teammates have earned a No. 10 seed in the Dayton Region and will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., to face No. 7 seed Mississippi State in First Round action at 1:30 p.m. Sunday live on ESPN.
TSSAA Changes Football Playoff Criteria
March 17, 2010
The T-Double-S-Double-A has decided to change the football playoff system – again. The Z-plan, which was used last year to determine playoff teams, was scrapped. Called difficult to understand by fans and even coaches, the Z-plan was heavily criticized and the T-Double-S-Double-A responded with a panel of 12 proposing changes. Former Riverdale coach Gary Rankin was among the football coaches on the committee. The committee met and after about 10-hours of planning, presented the Board of Control with the proposal, which they passed at the Tuesday meeting held here in Murfreesboro by a 7-to-1 vote.
The new plan will reduce the number of guaranteed teams to the top two each district. The rest of the playoff field will be determined by:
1. Total number of victories
2. Number of teams you played that won 50% or more of their games (Takes into consideration strength of schedule).
3. Wins over teams winning 50% or more of their games.
4. Total number of victories by all opponents.
5. Fewest defeats of all opponents.
PLAYOFF FOOTBALL CHANGES:
1. Top two teams in every district are in the playoffs.
2. Remaining teams in each bracket are determined based on how they finished in regular season using the set criteria.
3. Quadrants set based on geography.
4. Seeding within quadrants based solely on how teams finished using the set criteria.
In order for the system to work, the following must be put into place:
1. Teams in the same district may play each other in the 1st round of the playoffs.
2. Teams finishing in the top half of their sub-group will not automatically qualify for the playoffs.
All teams not finishing 1st or 2nd in their district must qualify based on how they finished in regular season using the set criteria. Their selection will be based on the number of available slots left in the bracket after the District #1 and #2 finishers are determined.
BRAA bus trip planned for women’s basketball NCAA Tournament
March 16, 2010
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Athletic Association has announced a bus trip to Pittsburgh, Pa., this weekend to catch the Blue Raider women’s basketball team in NCAA Tournament action. Middle Tennessee earned a No. 10 seed in the Dayton Region and will play No. 7 seed Mississippi State at approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Petersen Events Center.
The Gray Line bus will leave Murfreesboro from the Greenland Drive parking lot at 7 a.m. Saturday. Cost for the bus is $125 and rooms have been reserved for an additional $139 per night plus tax at the Hampton University Inn. Tickets to the game are $16 apiece and cover both games Sunday, including the Ohio State-St. Francis (Pa.) matchup prior to the Blue Raiders’ tip.
Those going on the bus trip will stay Saturday and Sunday nights with contingent plans to stay Monday and Tuesday nights and leave Wednesday should Middle Tennessee win Sunday and advance to Tuesday’s Second Round. Otherwise, the bus will depart Monday to arrive back in Murfreesboro later that night.
For more information and to reserve a spot on the trip, please contact the Blue Raider Athletic Association at (615) 898-2210.
WOMEN’S NCAA: Blue Raiders off to Steel City as No. 10 seed to face Mississippi State
March 15, 2010
The Middle Tennessee women’s basketball team will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., for the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds as a No. 10 seed in the Dayton Region, setting up a meeting with No. 7 seed Mississippi State at approximately 1:30 p.m. Central Sunday. You will be able to hear the game with Dick Palmer doing the play-by-play on WGNS (FM 100.5, FM 101.9, AM 1450 and worldwide at wgnsradio.com). The Blue Raiders are making their 13th overall appearance in the field, which was announced live on ESPN with the network doing a live look-in on the team at the Murfreesboro Embassy Suites Monday night with over 1,000 fans and supporters in attendance.
Middle Tennessee’s game with the Bulldogs will be broadcast on ESPN from the Petersen Events Center, a 12,508-seat venue.
The Blue Raiders enter the tournament with a 25-5 record and No. 24 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and No. 27 in the Associated Press Poll, their second-straight week being listed among the Top 25. Middle Tennessee earned an entry into the 64-team field after garnering the Sun Belt’s automatic bid.
The victor of MT’s game with Mississippi State will face the winner of No. 8 nationally ranked and No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 15 seed St. Francis (Pa.) in the Second Round Tuesday.
The Blue Raiders and Bulldogs have met six times over the years, but not since 1990. Four of the six meetings have been at neutral sites and Middle Tennessee owns a 4-2 all-time series advantage against the Southeastern Conference foe. The Blue Raiders have won three straight in the series. MT has never faced Ohio State or St. Francis (Pa.).
Mississippi State brings a 19-12 overall mark and 9-7 SEC record into the contest. The Bulldogs, led by leading scorer Alexis Rack with 17.1 ppg, has five players in double figure scoring. Armelie Lumanu with 7.2 rpg is the top collector on the boards for head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis, who is in her 15th season in charge of the program in Starkville, Miss.
Middle Tennessee is 5-12 in its 12 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 60-59 loss as a No. 8 seed last season at No. 9 seed Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., in the Berkeley Region. The Blue Raiders are 1-3 in three NCAA Tournament berths under head coach Rick Insell, reaching the event in 2006, 2007 and 2009 prior to this year.
Senior All-American Alysha Clark leads the Middle Tennessee attack, leading the country with 28.7 ppg. She was the top scorer in the nation a year ago with 27.5 ppg and is complemented by three other seniors (Brandi Brown, Chelsia Lymon, Jackie Pickel) who also netted their respective 1,000th career point as Blue Raiders this season, making Middle Tennessee just the sixth program in NCAA history to accomplish the feat.
As a team, the Blue Raiders are among the Top 10 nationally for 3-pointers made per game (2nd, 10.0), turnover margin (2nd, +7.63), scoring offense (3rd, 81.4), steals per game (5th, 12.5), scoring margin (8th, +17.3), field goal percentage (8th, 46.3), assists per game (8th, 17.8) and assist/turnover ratio (10th, +1.12).
Blue Raiders Men to play Missouri State in CIT
March 15, 2010
Middle Tennessee has received an invitation to play in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) and will face Missouri State in the first round.
The Blue Raiders will play the Bears (20-12) in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, March 17 at 7:05 p.m. at JQH Arena on the campus of Missouri State University. WGNS will have the broadcast.
This is the first postseason appearance since 1989 for Middle Tennessee when it competed in the Southeast Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Raiders have reached the postseason nine times in school history.
“I am excited for our players and our program as well as our fans that we continue in the postseason. There are a 129 basketball teams that will continue playing this week out of 350 which is about 36 percent of all college basketball. The only teams that are left are those who had really good seasons and are playing well,” head coach Kermit Davis said. “I’m really happy for our seniors who get a chance to play another game and I think it’s a great experience with the extra practice and tournament experience for our returning players next year.”
It is the second year for the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament with Old Dominion defeating Bradley in the inaugural championship game. 16 teams receive invitations to compete in the tournament which features mid-major universities who have a record above .500.
Middle Tennessee won a share of the Sun Belt regular season title and goes into the CIT with a 19-13 overall record. The Blue Raiders ended Sun Belt play 13-5, its best record since becoming a member in 2000-01.
The Blue Raiders defeated Missouri State 63-51 to win the Basketball Traveler’s Tipoff Tournament on Dec. 22, 2008, which was hosted by the Bears, in the only previous meeting between the two schools.
“We went to their tournament last year and were fortunate enough to beat Missouri State in finals. They are a much improved team who has won 20 games this season. They are a great home team and we are really excited about playing in the postseason,” Davis said.
Also competing in postseason action from the Sun Belt are North Texas, who received the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and Troy, who received the Sun Belt tie-in to the National Invitation Tournament.
It is the first time since 2005 the Sun Belt has sent three teams into postseason action, that season Louisiana-Lafayette competed in the NCAA while Denver and Western Kentucky were in the NIT.
Chip Walters will call the action on the Blue Raider Network and on goblueraiders.com. Check goblueraiders.com for continued coverage of the Blue Raiders at the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
MTSU Tennis: Women’s tennis bounces back with win over Lady Jags
March 14, 2010
MOBILE, Ala. - Middle Tennessee won for the first time in two weeks to conclude a long road trip on the upswing, defeating South Alabama 5-2 Sunday afternoon in women’s tennis action in Mobile, Ala.
Photo ID: Anna Djananova clinched the win over South Alabama with a singles victory at the No. 4 position Sunday.
"It has been a long trip and we are glad to finish it with a win," head coach Alison Ojeda. "We had four close and hard fought matches on this road trip and won the doubles point in three of the four matches. There are quite a few great things we have learned on this trip. All of which will be applied to our next two weeks of practices."
The doubles point fell to the Blue Raiders again Sunday. With the Lady Jags playing shorthanded and having to forfeit contests, Middle Tennessee (6-5) clinched the point by winning at No. 2 doubles. Yuiri Nomoto and Carla Nava handed Maria Boura and Jess Courtnell an 8-5 defeat. The No. 3 match was forfeited, giving the Blue Raiders the point.
After picking up the doubles point, Middle Tennessee needed to win just one of the singles matches to clinch the overall victory; however, the Blue Raiders prevailed in two of the four contested meetings and garnered two other points when South Alabama (1-8) had to forfeit at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions.
Anna Djananova sealed the win with her 6-4, 6-2 triumph at the No. 4 spot against Courtnell. Natalie Araya then tacked on another victory for good measure with a hard-fought, back-and-forth three-set 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 triumph against Bourna at the No. 2 position.
Middle Tennessee will return to action next weekend when it travels to Birmingham, Ala., for a pair of matches. The Blue Raiders will face UAB Friday before battling UTEP in a neutral site match Saturday.
Middle Tennessee 5, South Alabama 2
Singles
No. 1 Katie Welch (USA) def. Carla Nava (MT) 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 Natalie Araya (MT) def. Marie Boura (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 10-7
No. 3 Chane Hines (USA) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MT) 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Anna Djananova (MT) def. Jess Courtnell (USA) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Marietta Bigus (MT) def. No player (USA), by forfeit
No. 6 Taylor Coffey (MT) def. No player (USA), by forfeit
Doubles
No. 1 Welch/Hines (USA) def. Bigus/Araya (MT) 8-2
No. 2 Nomoto/Nava (MT) def. Boura/Courtnell (USA) 8-5
No. 3 Taylor/Djananova (MT) def. No player/No player (USA), by forfeit
MTSU Baseball: Chad Edwards pitches Blue Raiders to victory
March 14, 2010
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won its first conference series of the season on Sunday, winning the rubber game 9-3 at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Chad Edwards (left photo) put together his best outing of the season, going a full eight innings allowing seven hits and two earned runs. Nick Montgomery came in for the final inning, giving up zero hits with one walk.
"When you go into the rubber game of the series, you expect runs to be scored," said Head Coach Steve Peterson. "But Chad was pretty tough today. Once he gets going, he can change up speeds and really locate his fastball well."
Drew Robertson and Justin Guidry each notched two runs batted in. Tyler Burnett went 3-5 at the plate with a pair of runs and an RBI. Blake McDade also had three hits with two runs scored. Middle Tennessee had eight different players record a hit en route to outhitting ULM 13-7.
Middle Tennessee opened up the scoring in the first. Burnett tripled down the left field line to start the inning, scoring later when Guidry hit into fielder’s choice.
The Blue Raiders tacked on two more runs in the second. McDade led off with a double down the right line, and he advanced to third on a groundout by Stuart Meinhart. After a Justin Miller strikeout, Ryan Ford earned a walk. Burnett singled, but an errant throw by Caleb Clowers allowed both McDade and Ford to score.
ULM cut the deficit to one in the third with a two-run homer by Clowers.
Middle Tennessee answered in the bottom of the third. Brentz earned a walk before scoring on a Guidry double down the left field line.
Despite loading the bases in the third, ULM could only manage one run in the fourth. Josh Chappell scored on an error to cut the Middle Tennessee lead back to one, 4-3.
The Blue Raiders added another run to their lead in the seventh. Burnett started off with a double, and advanced to third on a Robertson groundout. Burnett would score on a Brentz sacrifice fly to left field.
The Middle Tennessee offense got rolling in the eighth with four runs. Zach Hudson singled and McDade doubled to lead off the inning. A Meinhart single brought home Hudson, and a Hunter Dawson single scored McDade. A Ford walk loaded the bases, and after Burnett reached on a fielder’s choice, Robertson singled to plate the last two runs of the game.
The Blue Raiders will hit the road for a four-game swing beginning on Tuesday, March 16 to play in-state foe Lipscomb at Ken Dugan Field in Nashville at 3 p.m.
MTSU Shot Put: Cox finishes 19th at NCAA Indoor
March 14, 2010
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Middle Tennessee’s Brittany Cox (left photo) placed 19th in the shot put competition of the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championship in Fayetteville, Ark. recording a mark of 50-6 (15.89m).
Cox’s 50-6 (15.89m) toss came on the senior’s third throw of the preliminary round of the competition. She threw 49-5.75 (15.08m) and 48-1.75 (14.67m) in her first two tosses, respectively.
The Antioch, Tenn., native’s season best toss of 53-5.5 (16.29m) was thrown at the Middle Tennessee Invitational last month. This toss would set a new Sun Belt and Middle Tennessee record. Cox would injury her ankle in practice the next week, making it unclear at the time if she would be able to compete at these championships.
Cox will rejoin her teammates as the squads will open outdoor competition at the Rhodes Invitational in Memphis, Tenn
MTSU Softball: Couch homer lifts softball to victory
March 14, 2010
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Middle Tennessee softball team split their opening day doubleheader at the 2010 USF Under Armour Showcase, as the team won the opening game off a Jessi Couch extra inning homerun against Boston College before dropping the second game to Radford.
Photo ID: Lindsey Vander Lugt pitched 8.0 innings of work to lift the Blue Raiders to a 6-4 victory over the Boston College Eagles. The team would drop the second contest of the doubleheader 5-2 to the Radford Highlanders.
Couch’s homer was just the second of the season for the Blue Raiders, but the three timely runs gave the team the lead after a three run Boston College rally in the previous frame to force extra innings as the Raiders won 6-4.
Lindsey Vander threw a complete game 8.0 innings of work en route to her fourth win of the season striking out six allowing three earned runs on eight hits.
Vander Lugt morning was highlighted by a fifth inning jam she brilliantly battled through giving up no runs. The Olympia, Wash., native gave up a single to the first batter and retired the second before nearly tossing up a foul ball that nearly hooked fair for the BC homerun. Vander Lugt rebounded and befuddled the batter on the next pitch for the looking strikeout. She would walk the next hitter before retire two consecutive with great defensive help behind her.
Kelsey Dortch opened the scoring for the Blue Raiders in the top of the fourth inning using her speed to advance from first to home as the Boston College centerfielder misplayed a Corrie Abel line-drive single putting the Raiders up 1-0 and Abel at second. Abel would move to third on a wild pitch, but the team could not drive her home.
In the top of the fifth, Brittney Banania doubled off Eagles relief pitcher Allison Gage to score Kristi Marquez from third who earlier doubled to center and was then pushed to third on a Kandra Singleton sac bunt. This gave the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead. Banania continues to lead the Raiders with seven RBIs.
Middle Tennessee would tack on one more run before allowing a three run Eagles rally in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. The Blue Raiders would win 6-4 in extra innings.
The team could not carry the winning momentum into the second game of the day, as the squad would drop a contest to Radford 5-2.
Caty Jutson was saddled with the loss dropping to 0-3, on the season. Jutson threw 3.0 innings of work allowing three runs, two earned, off of seven hits. Freshman Janele Robinson came in for 4.0 innings of relief giving up one run while tallying one strikeout.
Caitlin McLure scored the first Blue Raider run, crossing the plate in the bottom of the first, from second on a Kelsey Dortch single.
Radford touched-up Jutson for a three-run homer opening a lead, 4-1. Middle Tennessee was not able to surmount a comeback.
Middle Tennessee had chances in the bottom fourth with Jessi Couch reaching on error and Kaycee Popham driving a single to right the side the infield. Both runners would advance on a wild pitch to Kristi Marquez. Marquez would battle Highlanders pitcher Heather Paquette for 12 pitches before striking out looking ending the frame.
Again in the sixth, Middle Tennessee would rally with one outs as Corrie Abel and Natalie Ysais lead off with singles bringing Couch to the plate with no outs. Couch’s sac fly would bring home Abel from third and give the Lebanon, Tenn., native four RBIs for the day. No other runs would score.
In the seventh, Kandra Singleton legged out an infield and stole second, but she could not be brought home ending the game.
"Overall our hitting greatly improved as our strikeouts were cut in half from what we had been doing," said head coach Sue Nevar. "The homerun in the first game was exciting. In the second game we could not quite make the necessary adjustments to get the job done."
The Blue Raiders conclude their play at the 2010 USF Under Armour Invitational as they take Ball State and Central Michigan which were both changed from original tournament schedule to adjust to Friday’s rain. Livestats and full coverage will be available on GoBlueRaiders.com.
TSSAA Girl’s Tournament: Class AAA Miss Basketball Winner Announced
March 14, 2010
The winner of the Division I, Class AAA Miss Basketball Award was announced at the conclusion of the championship game today at the Murphy Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
Taylor Hall of Morristown-West was named Class AAA Miss Basketball for 2010. The other two finalists were Jordyn Luffman of Lawrence County and Jasmine Newsome of Millington Central.
Hall is a 6’1”, senior, forward. She is a four-year starter for the Lady Trojans who averages 18.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals, and 3.4 assists per game. She shoots 53% from the field, 44% from three-point range, and is a 84% free-throw shooter. Taylor was the District Player of the Year in both her Junior and Senior years, and in 2010 was the District Tournament Most Valuable Player. In 2009 she was a Class AAA Miss Basketball finalist, an All-State selection, All-East Tennessee, and was on the All-District and All-Region teams. In 2010, she was chosen as a nominee for both the McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year. She has scored over 1,000 points in her career and she recorded the first quadruple-double in school history this season with 15 points, 11 steals, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. Taylor is an honor student with a 4.0 grade point average.
Riverdale Girls in Championship Game
March 12, 2010
SATURDAY EXCLUSIVE
The Riverdale girls had their way with Memphis Overton yesterday afternoon in route to a 66-40 win, which paved the way to the Class Triple-A championship game for the Lady Warriors. Sophomore Shacobia (sha-CO-bee-uh) Barbee (BAR-bee) finished with a game high 30 and she also grabbed 23 rebounds. Candace Spurlock had three three-pointers in the win. Riverdale will play Morristown West, which defeated Memphis Central 59-51, in the championship game tonight at 6pm. Bryan Barrett and Jon Dinkins will have the ‘’live” play-by-play on WGNS beginning at 5:30. Three years ago, the Lady Warriors won their first state title. Tonight, they go for number two.
Lady Raiders Viewing Party
March 12, 2010
The Middle Tennessee athletic department will hold a viewing party for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Show at the Murfreesboro Embassy Suites Monday to celebrate the Blue Raiders’ 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and recent Sun Belt Championship.
Middle Tennessee learning of its opponent, seed and destination for the 64-team tournament, which begins March 20 and 21, will highlight the event, which attracted nearly 1,000 people a year ago. All players and coaches, along with several other staff members, will be in attendance.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the show airing live on ESPN beginning an hour later, at 6. The Selection Show will be shown on a large projection screen, allowing everyone a clear view of the developments.
Following the Selection Show, the final Rick Insell LIVE! of the season will begin at 7 p.m. on WGNS and feature Blue Raider head coach Rick Insell and radio voice Dick Palmer discussing the brackets and Middle Tennessee’s upcoming games in the NCAA Tournament. The radio show will take place from the same banquet room as the Selection Show and can be heard on FM 100.5, FM 101.9, AM 1450 and worldwide on wgnsradio.com.
Riverdale Wins A State Tournament 2OT Thriller over Mt. Juliet
March 11, 2010
A nail-biter at the Murphy Center…
Riverdale versus Mt. Juliet in the opening round of the T-Double-S-Double-A girls state tournament…and it was a classic…
But it was in that second overtime Riverdale found the edge they needed. Jon Dinkins had the play-by-play on WGNS…
Lady Warrior sophomore Shacobia Barbee scored the last four points of the game and finished with 26. The Lady Warriors, now 28-and-2 on the year, move on to play Memphis Overton in the state’s final four this (Friday) afternoon. Game time will be 4 o’clock and you can hear it on WGNS. The other semi-final game will feature Morristown West versus Memphis Central. The semi-final winners will advance to the championship game Saturday night at 6. If you missed the Riverdale/Mt. Juliet game, you can listen to the entire broadcast by logging on to WGNSRadio.com and under sports, check out prep scores and audio highlights.
ENTIRE BROADCAST:
Women’s Tennis: Blue Raiders Look To Regroup In Louisiana
March 11, 2010
The Middle Tennessee women’s tennis team will look to bounce back and claim its first victory in nearly two weeks when it travels to Lafayette, Louisiana, Friday to face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at 2 p.m.
Photo ID: Marietta Bigus leads the Blue Raiders with six singles wins.
"We still have a bad taste in our mouths from the loss to Florida Atlantic," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "The only way to get rid of it is to get on the court again and compete. We look forward to tomorrow’s match. Louisiana has a new coach who is really working hard to get her players to understand the same type of fundamentals we are. It should be a great match."
The Blue Raiders are 5-4 on the campaign entering the contest and are coming off two hard-fought losses in Florida. Middle Tennessee fell 5-2 to then-No. 49 FIU before dropping a 4-3 decision to Florida Atlantic Monday.
Sophomore Marietta Bigus has posted the most singles victories on the team with six, while Taylor Coffey, Carla Nava and Yuiri Nomoto all have registered five singles wins.
Nomoto and partner Anna Djananova have combined for a 5-0 record, while Bigus and Natalie Araya have also garnered five doubles triumphs this spring.
Louisiana brings a 2-6 record to the courts Friday, having lost four straight, including away matches at nationally-ranked UCF and FIU. Julie Mazinova leads the Ragin’ Cajuns with a 6-2 slate, playing primarily at the No. 2 singles position.
The match will be held at the Cajun Courts in Lafayette, Louisiana.
MTSU Women’s Basketball: Clark and Lanning Honored By Sun Belt
March 11, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Middle Tennessee senior All-American forward and Sun Belt Player of the Year Alysha Clark was tabbed the Sun Belt Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the Blue Raiders to their sixth league championship Tuesday in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Clark was named the event’s top player following a vote of media present at the tournament with teammate Anne Marie Lanning also earning All-Sun Belt Tournament Team accolades.
Photo ID: Alysha Clark (left) and Anne Marie Lanning (right) represented the Blue Raiders on the 2010 All-Sun Belt Tournament Team.
The Mt. Juliet native established seven individual tournament records and tied two others on her way to collecting the award for the second-straight season. Most notably, she set the single-game and single-tournament scoring marks with 48 and 132 points, respectively.
Clark began the week with a record-breaking 40 points in the quarterfinal round 106-66 win over North Texas. After UALR’s Chastity Reed topped her with 41 in the Trojans’ semifinal victory against New Orleans, Clark responded with 44 points as the Blue Raiders advanced with a 76-63 triumph over Western Kentucky.
Tuesday’s championship game featured a battle between the top-two scorers in the conference, and it was Clark who came out on top, netting 48 points, while Reed was held to just 14.
Clark continued to add to her single-game tournament marks by tying previous standards for free throws made (16) and attempted (18) against UALR, both of which she had set a year ago against South Alabama. Former Middle Tennessee standout Amber Holt also shares the free throw attempts record, which she had posted against UALR in 2008.
Clark and Reed also tied for the most field goals made in a game with 16, a new record. Clark made 16 in all three of the Blue Raiders’ contests, while Reed matched the mark in the semifinals.
Clark recorded five single-tournament standards, including the 132 points covering the three wins. The three-game total is the most by any NCAA Division I player this season and helped solidify her as the current leading scorer in the country with 28.7 ppg.
Her 132 points rank as the top league tournament performance in NCAA women’s basketball history by any player in any conference, surpassing the 128 netted in three games turned in by Maine’s Cindy Blodgett in the 1997 America East Championships.
Clark also became the Sun Belt Tournament single-event record holder for field goals made (48), free throws made (35) and attempted (42) and rebounds (43).
Lanning, although not breaking any tournament marks, played consistently throughout the three-game stretch and finished second on the team with 36 points. Eight of her 10 field goals were from behind the 3-point arc in addition to an 8-of-8 effort from the foul line. She led the Blue Raiders with 17 assists and hauled in eight rebounds in playing 119 total minutes, one shy of Clark’s team-leading total.
Middle Tennessee set three team tournament records, including a pair of single-game standards. The Blue Raiders tallied 61 points during the second 20 minutes in their 106-66 quarterfinal victory against North Texas to set the mark for most points in a half.
The other single-game team tournament record established was 36 3-point field goal attempts, also coming in the win over the Mean Green.
Middle Tennessee set a single-tournament mark for most 3-point field goal attempts, firing 75 in the three game swing.
The Blue Raiders, who entered the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll for the first time this season at No. 25 this week, own a 25-5 record after clinching the Sun Belt’s automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament. Middle Tennessee will learn of its fate during the Selection Show at 6 p.m. Monday, live on ESPN.
2010 All-Sun Belt Tournament Team:
Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee
Anne Marie Lanning, Middle Tennessee
Brittany Helm, New Orleans
Shanika Butler, UALR
Chastity Reed, UALR
Kim Sitzmann, UALR
Most Outstanding Player:
Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee
All-Time Blue Raider All-Sun Belt Tournament Team Selections:
Jamie Thomatis, 2002
Patrice Holmes, 2003*
Tia Stovall, 2003
Patrice Holmes, 2004*
Krystle Horton, 2004
Tia Stovall, 2004
Patrice Holmes, 2005*
Tia Stovall, 2005
Chrissy Givens, 2005
Chrissy Givens, 2006*
Tia Stovall, 2006
Chrissy Givens, 2007*
Krystle Horton, 2007
Amber Holt, 2007
Amber Holt, 2008
Alysha Clark, 2009*
Brandi Brown, 2009
Chelsia Lymon, 2009
Alysha Clark, 2010*
Anne Marie Lanning, 2010
Fun At MTSU For Next 2-Weeks…TSSAA Tournaments!
March 11, 2010
Don’t miss out on all of the fun and excitement at the 2010 Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee State Basketball Championships! Come to MTSU’s Murphy Center in Murfreesboro to watch hoop action at its finest. The Girls’ Tournament is March 10 – 13 and the Boys’ Tournament is March 17 – 20, 2010.
This event brings thousands of visitors to Rutherford County each March and has an economic impact of $3 million for both weeks of the Girls’ and Boys’ tournaments. The Girls’ tournament has been played continuously in Murfreesboro since 1975. The Boys’ tournament was hosted in Murfreesboro from 1975-82 and 1989 to present.
Mona Herring, Vice President of the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau says, “It is always an exciting time when the basketball teams and fans are in Rutherford County. The tournaments are not only a great boost to our economy, but also offer some quality family entertainment.”
General admission tickets are $10.00 per day. There are six games per day from Wednesday - Friday. On Saturday, there will be one session of three championship games and general admission tickets are $12.00.
For more information, call TSSAA at 615-889-6740 or check out their website: www.tssaa.org
MTSU Basketball: Coach Kermit Davis Named Sun Belt Coach of the Year
March 10, 2010
NORWOOD, Mass. – Head men’s basketball coach Kermit Davis has been named Sun Belt Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
Davis guided the Blue Raiders to a share of the Sun Belt East Division title and a 19-13 record. Middle Tennessee posted a 13-5 Sun Belt Conference record which included an 7-2 away record in league action.
“The fact that Coach Davis didn’t have Desmond Yates in the early stretch and then center Theryn Hudson and was a co-champion in the Sun Belt we felt was more than enough for him to be named Sun Belt Coach of the Year,” CollegeInsider.com’s president Joe Dwyer said.
The Blue Raiders will find out Sunday, March 14 if they will be playing in a postseason tournament. WGNS is your BLUE RAIDER connection (FM 100.5, FM 101.9, AM 1450, over the air TV 11, worldwide at www.WGNSradio.com).
Gilley shines in victory: MTSU 10 - Belmont 1
March 9, 2010
NASHVILLE - Eric Gilley earned his second win of the season as the Middle Tennessee baseball team won at Belmont, 10-1.
Gilley put together one of the best starts by a Blue Raider pitcher this season. The junior from Hendersonville pitched seven strong innings, allowing six hits, a walk, and just one run while striking out three.
“He did an outstanding job,” said Coach Steve Peterson. “He went out and dominated a team that has one of the best records in baseball.”
The Blue Raider offense was led by Bryce Brentz, who hit his third home run of the season with a two-run blast in the seventh. On the day, the All-American went 2-5 with three runs scored, two runs batted in and a walk.
Blake McDade had a good day at the plate as well, going 3-4 with his first home run of the season while scoring two runs. Justin Guidry went 2-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Justin Miller only had one hit, but knocked in three runs. Will Skinner scored two runs while going 1-4.
After sending just three hitters to the plate in each of the first two innings, Middle Tennessee (8-3) scored the first run of the game in the third. Miller struck out at the start of the frame, but Acker singled through the left side to reach first. Ford followed up with a walk, and a two-out double by Hudson plated Acker.
The Bruins (10-2) evened the score in the bottom of the fourth. Packy Elkins led off the inning with a double down the left field line and a bunt single by Derek Hamblen advanced Elkins to third. A balk by Gilley allowed Elkins to score.
The Blue Raiders took back the lead with a run in the top of the sixth. Consecutive walks by Brentz and McDade prompted a pitching change for Belmont, and Skinner hit a sacrifice fly to advance Brentz to third. A Guidry single through the right side plated Brentz.
The scoring continued in the seventh as 11 Blue Raiders came to the plate on the way to a five-run frame. Ford opened up with a walk, and a groundout by Burnett moved him to second. However, Ford was tagged out when Hudson hit into a fielder’s choice. Brentz hit a two-run homer in the next at bat, and McDade followed him up with home run to right field. It marked the second time that two Blue Raider hitters have hit homers in back-to-back at bats this season. Skinner and Guidry kept the inning going by stringing together consecutive singles, and an error by Bruin 1st baseman Nate Woods allowed Skinner to score. Acker and Ford each earned walks to score Guidry.
Middle Tennessee tacked on another three runs in the eighth. A pair of one-out singles by Brentz and McDade followed by a Skinner walk loaded the bases for Guidry, who hit into a groundout to score Brentz. Miller doubled down the left field line to score McDade and Skinner.
Middle Tennessee outhit Belmont 12-7, and the Bruins committed all three errors in the game. The Blue Raiders stranded more runners 8-3.
Middle Tennessee will play again tomorrow at Reese Smith Jr. Field to kick off a four-game home swing. The Blue Raiders will face the University of Tennessee at 3 p.m.
Lady Raiders Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champions
March 9, 2010
The MTSU Lady Raiders are Sun Belt Conference Champions, defeating Arkansas Little Rock 70-68 in overtime. Dick Palmer had the play-by-play on WGNS in the final seconds of overtime…
DOWNLOAD THE LAST SHOT & LAST SECONDS
Tim Tackett and Andy Herzer with All Sports Talk spoke to Lady Raider coach Rick Insell after the game and we have the interview below…
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - All-American and Sun Belt Player of the Year Alysha Clark turned and hit a bank shot from the left side with 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime to seal a 70-68 victory for No. 25 Middle Tennessee over UALR in the Sun Belt women’s basketball championship game Tuesday afternoon inside Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark. The crown is the Blue Raiders sixth in eight appearances in the Sun Belt title game and locks up Middle Tennessee’s 13th NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
In an epic battle between the top-two seeded teams in the tournament, it went an extra five minutes with the two squads never quitting over the course of the 45 minutes. Clark was the driving force for the Blue Raider offense, tallying a Sun Belt Tournament single-game record 48 points on 16-of-28 field goals and 16-of-18 free throws while never stepping off the floor. The 48 points for the Mt. Juliet, Tenn., native are two shy of her career high and the Sun Belt’s overall mark on her way to earning Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player accolades for the second-straight year.
She added 16 rebounds for her third-straight double-double, 19th of the season, 36th as a Blue Raider and 74th overall of her career to move within one of fourth place on the NCAA’s all-time list. She also increased her career total to 2,835 points to pass Western Kentucky’s Crystal Kelly for 12th place in NCAA history. While Clark was doing the work on the offensive end, it was Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Jackie Pickel who turned in a solid performance on the other side guarding the Trojans’ top threat, Chastity Reed. Pickel limited Reed to 7-of-23 from the floor for 14 points and caused six turnovers.
Pickel was the second-leading scorer for Middle Tennessee (25-5) with nine points, all on three 3-pointers, while Anne Marie Lanning (left photo) added a pair for six points to garner All-Sun Belt Tournament Team honors.
Shanika Butler led UALR (26-6) with a double-double of her own, netting 18 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. Asriel Rolfe knocked down five 3-pointers among her 17 points, while Kim Sitzmann also reached double figures with 11.
The Blue Raiders finished with 19 assists on their 23 field goals and connected on 18-of-20 free throws in their first overtime affair of the campaign.
Clark hit a pair of free throws to begin the extra period, after Marian Kursh missed a set for the Trojans. Reed came down on the next possession to knot the score for the seventh time at 61-61 before Clark went back to the line for two more with 2:53 to play. Lanning then buried a triple at 2:31 to put MT ahead five, 66-61. The lead grew to eight following a Butler miss and Rolfe fouling Lymon. The senior point guard sank a couple charity tosses with 1:59 remaining for a seven-point cushion, 68-61.
UALR, however, would answer with seven consecutive points of its own, started by a Rolfe trey and followed by a Butler layup and two free throws from Channon Haywood to force the eighth tie, 68-68, with 29 seconds to go.
Without calling timeout, Middle Tennessee pushed the ball inside to Clark. She did not have the shot she had hoped, prompting her to pass back out to Lymon. The pair then reconnected with three seconds left and Clark turned to hit the game-winning shot. The Trojans launched a three-quarter court shot but it fell well short.
UALR jumped out in front 5-2 to start the game, as Sitzmann buried a corner triple and Reed laid the ball in with just over a minute passed. Lymon then stole an in-bounds pass and converted an ensuing layup to pull the Blue Raiders within one. Clark’s backcourt steal and uncontested layup at 14:25 provided the first tie, 9-9.
The Trojans raced out to a four-point edge, 15-11, when Rolfe nailed a 3-pointer at 12:17, but Middle Tennessee used a Clark layup and Pickel trey to take its first lead, 16-15, with 11:09 to play in the stanza. UALR mounted a 13-2 spurt over the next five-and-a-half minutes, to race out to a game-best 10-point cushion, 28-18, with 5:31 on the clock.
The Blue Raiders went to Clark for a pair of layups, trimming the deficit to six preceding a Pickel 3-pointer at 3:06 to pull within five, 30-25. Sitzmann made two free throws before Middle Tennessee closed the period on a 7-0 run, all coming from Clark, to force a 32-32 halftime score.
The close game ensued during the second 20 minutes with Reed knocking down her own miss at 13:28 for a six-point advantage, 41-35. Clark went back to the charity stripe and recorded a layup during the next minute to close the gap to two, 41-39.
Butler registered four of the next six points, giving the Trojans another eight-point margin, 47-39, with exactly 11 minutes remaining. The differential would stretch to nine, 50-41, on another Rolfe trey with 8:57 to play.
Lanning answered with a 3-pointer before the Blue Raiders then would take control during the next four-and-a-half minutes, turning to Clark for a eight consecutive points to force a 52-52 tie with 4:24 to go in regulation.
Brandi Brown drained a 25-foot triple at 3:35 to give Middle Tennessee a three-point advantage for its first lead in 12 minutes. The Blue Raider lead would swell to five a couple times down the stretch, the last on a Clark layup with 2:44 left. UALR battled back with five-straight points via Rolfe, including another 3-pointer, to tie it at the end of regulation, 59-59.
Middle Tennessee entered the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll for the first time this season at No. 25, a ranking which was released just before the nationally-broadcast tip-off on ESPNU and ESPN360.com.
The Blue Raiders will await word for their NCAA Tournament fate. The tournament selection show will be at 6 p.m. Monday with details of the team’s plans still in the works. Tune to WGNS…your BLUE RAIDER CONNECTION (FM 100.5, FM 101.9, AM 1450, over-the-air TV 11, worldwide at www.WGNSradio.com).
Doubles point win not enough for Blue Raider women’s tennis
March 9, 2010
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Middle Tennessee won the doubles point but only managed two singles wins in falling 4-3 to Florida Atlantic in women’s tennis action Monday in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Blue Raiders swept the three doubles matches to start the match with an early 1-0 lead. Natalie Araya and Marietta Bigus earned an 8-3 victory over Natalia Totevska and Cassie Bergeson at the No. 1 spot, while Yuiri Nomoto and Carla Nava (left photo) combined for an 8-4 triumph against Justine Humair and Natasha Basma during the No. 2 contest.
The sweep was completed with an 8-5 win, as Taylor Coffey and Anna Djananova of Middle Tennessee (5-4) paired to knock off the Owls’ Virginia Augustin and Dominque Wimmer.
Nava continued the momentum with a hard-fought, three-set 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 win against Humair during the No. 1 tilt.
Nomoto also captured a singles victory, defeating Bergeson 6-3, 6-0 during the No. 3 match.
Florida Atlantic (5-6) won the remaining four matchups, including another hard-fought three-set decision at No. 5, where Erika Mrazkova handed Bigus a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.
The Blue Raiders will return to action at 2 p.m. Friday in Lafayette, La., against Louisiana.
Florida Atlantic 4, Middle Tennessee 3
Singles
No. 1 Carla Nava (MT) def. Justine Humair (FAU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0
No. 2 Natalia Totevska (FAU) def. Natalie Araya (MT) 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 Yuiri Nomoto (MT) def. Cassie Bergeson (FAU) 6-3, 6-0
No. 4 Natasha Basma (FAU) def. Anna Djananova (MT) 7-5, 6-2
No. 5 Erika Mrazkova (FAU) def. Marietta Bigus (MT) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 Dominique Wimmer (FAU) def. Taylor Coffey (MT) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 Araya/Bigus (MT) def. Totevska, Natalia/Bergeson (FAU) 8-3
No. 2 Nava/Nomoto (MT) def. Humair/Basma (FAU) 8-4
No. 3 Coffey/Djananova (MT) def. Augustin, Virginia/Wimmer (FAU) 8-5
Siegel Boys Headed to the Murphy Center
March 8, 2010
Bryan Barrett had the play-by-play on WGNS as the Siegel boys declawed the Owls of Ooltewah 65-41 in their sectional game and ensured themselves of a berth into the state’s final eight. The Stars will be in the T-Double-S-Double-A boys state basketball championships next week after dismantling Ooltewah and improving to 24-and-8 with the win. They improve to four-and-oh in sectional games as well. After a slow first quarter start, the Stars grabbed a two-point lead, 18-16, at the end of the quarter. They raced out to a 38-26 half time lead, scoring on the last shot of the half…
Junior Cedrick Williams had 15 to lead the Stars, Kerry Hammonds chipped in 11 and Stephen Hurt 10. Siegel won’t find out who they’ll play in the state tournament until the draw on Saturday at 10am at Embassy Suites here in town. The other teams in the field are Kingsport Dobbyns-Bennett, Knoxville Bearden, Columbia, Beech, Clarksville Northeast, Memphis White Station and Memphis Melrose.
Golf: Lady Raiders improve to fifth at Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate
March 8, 2010
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Middle Tennessee women’s golf finished fifth (out of 14) at the Administaff Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate at Forest Hills Golf Club (5,878 yards). Karisa Akin was the top Blue Raider finisher, placing 12th in the 74 player field.
"We had perfect conditions, but it’s a very difficult course," explained Coach Chris Adams. "The greens were probably the hardest that we’ll play all season, and I’m proud of the way the team improved over the course of the tournament to finish higher than some of the teams ranked ahead of us."
Photo ID:Karisa Akin finished 12th in her first tournament of the spring season.
Akin, who was playing in her first tournament of the spring season, climbed into the top ten early in the day, but ultimately finished 12th with a 13-over 229.
"I’m definitely impressed by Karisa’s focus and poise in her first tournament this season," said Adams. "She had confidence on the greens throughout the tournament, and the course played to some of her strengths."
Morgan Hale, who won the Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Month last week, followed up a great second round with a better third. The junior shot an early triple bogey, but rebounded by finishing the day with a 74, the best round by a Blue Raider in the tournament. She finished tied for 16th along with Clara Leathers with a 16-over 232.
Olivia Love and Stephanie Smith rounded out the scores for Middle Tennessee, finishing with a 24-over 240 and a 35-over 251, respectively.
Ashley Haggard competed as an individual in the tournament, meaning her scores would not apply to the overall team score. The freshman from Savannah, Tenn. finished tied for 31st with a 21-over 237.
Sun Belt Conference foe Troy also participated in the tournament and finished tied for ninth.
The Blue Raiders will continue their season later this month at the UALR Women’s Classic in Hot Springs, Ark.
TEAM SCORES:
1. Coastal Carolina, 891
2. Augusta State, 906
3. North Carolina-Wilmington, 926
4. Western Carolina, 931
5. Middle Tennessee, 933
6. North Carolina-Greensboro, 934
7. Southern Mississippi, 935
8. Wofford, 937
T9. Lamar, 948
T9. Troy, 948
T11. William & Mary, 954
T11. Charleston Southern, 954
13. Mercer, 986
14. UAB, 989
MT SCORES:
12. Karisa Akin, 229
T16. Morgan Hale, 232
T16. Clara Leathers, 232
T31. Ashley Haggard*, 237
T44. Olivia Love, 240
T65. Stephanie Smith, 251
*Ashley Haggard competed as an individual.
Basketball: Lady Raiders 76 – WKU 63; on WGNS 1PM Tuesday
March 8, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - All-American and Sun Belt Player of the Year Alysha Clark once again set the league’s single-game tournament scoring record, as she lifted No. 2 seed Middle Tennessee past rival and No. 3 seed Western Kentucky, 76-63, in Sun Belt Tournament semifinal action Monday afternoon inside the Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark. The win, completing a three-game season sweep over WKU, vaults the Blue Raiders into the championship game for the eighth consecutive season, where they will face top-seed UALR at 1 p.m. Tuesday (3/8/10) on WGNS (FM 100.5; FM 101.9; AM 1450; over-the-air TV 11; and worldwide at www.WGNSradio.com).
Photo ID: First Team All-Sun Belt Brandi Brown grabbed a season-best nine rebounds in Monday’s semifinal win over Western Kentucky.
Clark eclipsed a four-year old Sun Belt single-game scoring mark in Sunday’s quarterfinal victory over North Texas, only to see the record fall earlier in the day Monday when UALR’s Chastity Reed poured in 41 points in the Trojans’ 73-43 triumph over No. 12 New Orleans in the other semifinal.
Clark then broke Reed’s two-hour long standard with a 16-of-27 effort from the floor and 11-of-14 at the foul line for 44 points, her third-highest output of the campaign. She hauled in 14 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double, 18th of the season, 35th as a Blue Raider and 73rd of her career.
The 73 double-doubles move her into sole possession of fifth place on the NCAA’s all-time list. She also continued her climb on the NCAA’s career scoring chart, sliding into 14th place with 2,787 points to surpass 2009 WNBA No. 1 overall draft pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year Angel McCoughtry, who netted 2,779 points in her Louisville career.
Joining Clark in double-figure scoring were Brandi Brown and Anne Marie Lanning, who each tallied a dozen. Chelsia Lymon was the only other Middle Tennessee (24-5) player to score, finishing with eight points.
Brown grabbed a season-high nine rebounds, one shy of her career best, while Lymon’s seven boards also contributed to a 38-to-35 edge on the glass for the Blue Raiders.
Lanning handed out a career-high tying eight assists, marking the second time in the last three games she has given out the amount. Middle Tennessee was credited with 19 assists on 26 field goals, helping the team to shoot 26-of-51 (51.0 percent) from the floor.
Kenzie Rich posted a team-high 20 points for the Lady Toppers, including three of the team’s five 3-pointers. Amy McNear added 15 points, while Dominique Duck chipped in 10 to also give Western Kentucky (21-10) three starters in double figures. McNear registered eight of the dozen WKU assists, but it was poor first half shooting which led to the Lady Toppers’ loss. Western Kentucky hit just 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) during the opening 20 minutes and could not recover.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders raced out to a 26-6 advantage through first 11-and-a-half minutes. Duck put the Lady Toppers out front with an early deuce, but MT responded with seven-straight points before Arnika Brown scored again for WKU nearly three minutes later.
Middle Tennessee then ripped off a 13-0 spurt, 10 of which came from Clark and capped by a Brandi Brown 3-pointer, for a 20-4 edge with 11:05 to play in the first frame. Two sets of free throws, one by Clark and the other via Lanning, started another 6-0 run as the lead was pushed to 20, 26-6, with 8:39 remaining.
Western Kentucky answered with an 11-0 surge of its own during the next five minutes, as McNear tallied six points and Vanessa Obafemi added a triple to cut the deficit to nine, 26-17, on an Arnika Brown layup. Lanning ended the drought with a 3-pointer at 3:42, helping the Blue Raiders use an 11-5 run to close the period and enter the break ahead 15, 37-22.
The second half began with the Lady Toppers quickly slicing the margin back to single digits, as Duck poured in six consecutive points for a 37-28 Middle Tennessee lead with 18:15 to go. However, during the next three minutes, the Blue Raiders countered with a 14-2 surge, featuring nine points from Clark and five by Lanning, to again push the lead back over 20 and a 51-30 score at the 15:06 mark.
Obafemi buried her second triple to halt the run and the two teams would trade baskets during the next six minutes with Brandi Brown putting MT up, 60-40, with 9:02 to play on a layup. Rich then took over, recording 12 straight WKU points and 15 of the team’s next 19 to time the deficit to 10, 69-59, with 2:07 left.
The Lady Toppers would get no closer the remainder of the way, as Middle Tennessee was able to close out the victory with four of its final six points being scored by Lymon.
Tuesday’s championship against UALR will be a rematch of the final from a year ago, which witnessed the Blue Raiders tallying a 74-54 win. It marks the third-straight season in which the two teams will play in the Sun Belt Tournament. Middle Tennessee also eliminated the Trojans in the 2008 semifinal round. Again, follow the BLUE RAIDERS on WGNS (FM 100.5; FM 101.9; AM 1450; over-the-air TV 11; and worldwide at www.WGNSradio.com).
MTSU Hosts SunBelt Baseball Championships May 26-29, 2010
March 8, 2010
The Blue Raider baseball program and Middle Tennessee State University will play host to the 2010 Sun Belt Baseball Championships May 26-29.
The tournament will be held at Reese Smith Jr Field on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
Festivities will begin on Tuesday, May 25 with a Family Night which will include all conference awards as well as a student-athlete home run derby. The event is open to the public and the community is invited to attend the official kick-off to the tournament.
Tournament play begins on Wednesday bright and early and the double-elimination tournament will round out on Saturday, May 29 with the championship game.
Tournament booklets are $60 until April 1 and will increase to $75 per booklet after April 1. Single game tickets are $15 for reserved and $10 for bleacher. Children under the age of two will be admitted free of charge. Sun Belt student will receive free admission to the tournament when they show their student I.D at the gate.
For more information contact the Middle Tennessee ticket office at 1-888-YES-MTSU.
Basketball: Lady Raiders Face Mean Green 2:30PM Today (3/8/10) On WGNS
March 8, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Seniors Jackie Pickel and Alysha Clark hit personal milestones Sunday, but it was a collective effort that led the No. 2-seeded Middle Tennessee women’s basketball team to a 106-66 victory over No. 10 seed North Texas Sunday afternoon in the Sun Belt Tournament quarterfinals inside Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark. Yes, you’ll be able to hear the action “live” on WGNS your BLUE RAIDER CONNECTION (FM 100.5, FM 101.9, AM 1450, over-the-air TV 11, worldwide at www.WGNSradio.com).
The Blue Raiders topped the century mark for a national-best seventh game this season and third consecutive time against the Mean Green after forcing 23 overall turnovers and causing NT to shoot just 6-of-27 (22.2 percent) in the opening 20 minutes. The Middle Tennessee (23-5) defense, led by Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Pickel, clamped down on the lower seeded squad, as the Mean Green only made one of their first 18 attempts through the opening 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raider offense overcame a slow start of its own, building a 32-11 lead before Raquel Cuffie converted the second field goal for North Texas (9-22) at 5:48. Nine of the Mean Green’s first 11 points were made from the foul line with the same number of fouls called on Middle Tennessee to that point.
Pickel became the fourth Middle Tennessee player this season and 24th overall in school history to top the 1,000-point plateau. The Blue Raiders become just the sixth known program in NCAA women’s basketball history to have four players reach the milestone in the same season, joining Louisiana Tech (1988), Georgia (1996), Saint Joseph’s (2004), Connecticut (2005) and Michigan State (2005). The Second Team All-Sun Belt honoree finished with 21 points in 30 minutes, despite playing only 10 in the first stanza.
Clark set a single-game individual scoring record with her game-high 40 points on 16-of-23 from the field and 8-of-10 at the foul line. She added a team-best 13 rebounds for her 72nd career double-double, tying her for fifth all-time in NCAA history. The double-double is the 17th of the season and 34th as a Blue Raider for the Sun Belt Player of the Year.
The All-American gave the Blue Raiders their initial double-digit lead on a jumper with 9:24 remaining in the half for a 17-7 edge. The Mean Green trimmed the margin to nine, 19-10, before Middle Tennessee embarked on a 13-0 spurt over the next three minutes, keyed by a pair of triples from Anne Marie Lanning and another by Chelsia Lymon, to open the sizeable lead.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch of the opening period, as a Tina Stewart layup gave the Blue Raiders their largest edge of the half, 38-16, with 2:58 remaining. Free throws continued to keep North Texas within less than 20, pulling the deficit down to 17, 42-25, with 45 seconds to play in the half on a pair of charity tosses from Brittney James.
Stewart then added another layup with an ensuing free throw to close the first half scoring and send Middle Tennessee into the intermission ahead 20, 45-25.
The Blue Raider momentum carried over to the second session, as a 7-0 spurt opened a 27-point cushion, 52-25, with just over a minute elapsed. Middle Tennessee showed no signs of slowing down offensively, extending its run to an 18-2 surge over the first 3:22, capped by another Lanning trey, for a 63-27 lead with 16:38 left.
The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes before Denetra Kellum cut the gap to 32, 69-37, at 14:16. The Blue Raiders then used another strong run, a 14-4 streak covering over four minutes, to widen the margin to 42, 83-41. The lead would eventually stretch to a game-high 43, 87-44, on Lanning’s second set of free throws.
She hit her first pair at 9:51 when she nailed a corner 3-pointer and a foul was called after the play. The basket was counted and she was awarded two foul shots, essentially setting up a five-point play for the junior.
Clark came out of the under-eight media timeout, with 7:10 to go, and connected on a pair of free throws of her own to break the scoring mark and give Middle Tennessee an 89-46 lead. North Texas then mounted a 9-2 run, pulling within 36, 91-55, over the next 1:22 on the strength of five more charity tosses.
Two free throws by Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Jasmine Godbolt kept the Mean Green within 36, 96-60, coming out of the under-four minute timeout at 3:50. Lanning then missed a 3-pointer, but Pickel grabbed the rebound and hit the put-back for her 1,000th career point at 3:24 to send the Blue Raider faithful into a frenzy.
Before the Middle Tennessee bench began to empty down the stretch, Pickel added an insurance layup with 2:25 to play to give the Blue Raiders the century mark once again, 100-62. It was part of a 10-6 MT run in the final minutes to seal the victory.
Lanning added 18 points, including a team-high tying four triples and six assists. She was matched in both categories by Lymon, who finished with 14 points, as four of the five Middle Tennessee starters posted double-figure outings.
Five North Texas players reached the double-digit plateau, including a team-high 16 by James. Kellum chipped in 12, while Goldbolt and Hudson each tallied 11. Cuffie rounded out the quintet with 10 points. Godbolt hauled in a game-high 14 caroms for a double-double in 34 minutes.
The Blue Raiders will return to action in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Monday against No. 3 seed Western Kentucky, which won its quarterfinal 72-67 over South Alabama Sunday. The game will be broadcast on the Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) with Lyn Rollins on the play-by-play and Debbie Leonard as the color commentator.
Basketball: Denver 73 – MTSU 58; Ending Season For Men
March 8, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Two seven minute scoring droughts spelled doom for the Blue Raiders as they fell 73-58 to the Denver Pioneers in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championships on Sunday night.
Middle Tennessee had two scoring droughts totaling almost seven minutes each as senior Calvin O’Neil was the only player in double figures with his 14 points. O’Neil made just three field goals in the game but was steady at the free throw line making 8 of his 10 opportunities.
Denver had a long scoring drought of its own totaling almost seven minutes but made 12 free throws over the stretch to keep a sizeable lead.
The Blue Raiders shot 43.5 percent from the field as seniors Desmond Yates and Montarrio Haddock each had nine points in the game while junior Trevor added eight of his own.
Yates also led the Middle Tennessee defense with four rebounds and two blocks. The Blue Raiders had 23 rebounds in the game only five of which were on offense.
“I’m very proud of our team, to share the conference championship but I just hate that we would go about 12 minutes without scoring like we did. It is not indicative of our team,” head coach Kermit Davis said. “We got down nine, panicked and started guarding them the exact wrong way. Panicked offensively and all of a sudden a four or five possession game went to 18 or 19.”
Denver began the second half with an 11-0 run to take a 38-27 lead with 14:58 on the clock. Rohnert had a three-point play to make it 43-32 with 11:12 as the Blue Raiders had another long scoring drought. Middle Tennessee went almost seven minutes in the second half without scoring as a three-pointer by Washington broke the drought with 7:04 on the game clock, 53-35.
Ottley accounted for Middle Tennessee’s first six points and a three-point play by O’Neil gave the Blue Raiders a 6-3 lead with 14:47 on the clock. Then the Blue Raiders got very cold not making a field goal for 6:57 but made their free throws. Yates put the team back on track putting them up 20-15 with 5:50 to play.
Denver performed very well at the charity stripe tying the game at 20 after made free throws and took a 25-24 lead after two by Rohnert with 1:08 to play. A free throw by O’Neil with nine tenths of a second tied the game at 25 at the half.
Middle Tennessee made eight field goals in the first half shooting 42.1 percent while holding the Pioneers to 33.3 percent shooting from the field. O’Neil led all scorers with nine points after going 2-3 from field and making 5-6 free throws. Ottley added eight of his own after going 3-3 from the field and 2-3 at the charity stripe.
The Blue Raiders end the 2009-10 season 19-13 and co-champions of the Sun Belt East Division. Middle Tennessee won a school record 13 games in Sun Belt Conference action on its way to claiming a share of the league title.
“I am excited about our team and the year we had,” Davis said.
Golf: MTSU Finished Second In 23-Team USF Invitational
March 8, 2010
DADE CITY, Fla. – Middle Tennessee shot a 5-under par 283 in the final round of the USF Invitational to finish second in the 23-team field on Sunday. The Blue Raiders registered a 54-hole score of 857 on the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club Course (par 72, 7153 yards).
The 32nd ranked Blue Raiders finished five shots behind Florida Southern who is ranked 12th nationally in Division II and three shots ahead of No. 22 North Florida. South Alabama placed fourth, while Xavier rounded out the top five.
"We are getting better with each round and that is encouraging," said Head Coach Whit Turnbow. "Everybody has shown that they can go low in pressure situations but we just have to put it all together at the same time. I like the direction we are heading."
Sophomore Brad Simons was the story of the day and the tournament as the Mountain Home, Ark., native recorded his best career finish by tying for 11th with a 214. Simons, who had seven birdies, registered a personal-best round on Sunday with a 67 which equaled the second-best round of the day.
"Brad had a great tournament and he deserves it because of all the hard work he has put in," said Turnbow.
Also turning up his play on Sunday was sophomore Hunter Green. The Evansville, Tenn., product fired a 68 in the final round to tie Simons for 11th. Green, who birdied all four par 5s Sunday, finished the tournament with a 214.
Seniors Kent Bulle and Craig Smith both tied for 33rd with scores of 216. Bulle had a 74 in the final round while Smith added a 77.
Jason Millard rounded out the Blue Raider scoring by tying for 41st with a 222.
The Blue Raiders will be back in action on March 15 at the Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Riverdale Girls Advance to State; Siegel Boys Play for a Berth Monday Night
March 6, 2010
It was a tough, hard-fought game…but the Lady Warriors used 11 3-pointers to blister the Lady Raiders of Cleveland 62-to-41. Jaclissa Haislip had six of the 3’s and finished with 21 for the game. The third-ranked Lady Warriors improve to 27-and-2 and avenged one of their two losses of the season with the win. The Riverdale girls will play Mt. Juliet in the opening round of the state tournament Thursday. The game will tip off at 2:30pm. Mt. Juliet is 32-and-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Riverdale. The Blackman girl’s hopes of back-to-back trips to the Murphy Center fell at Walker Valley with a 42-38 loss. Middle Tennessee Christian Schools lost a close one at Wayne County 58-53.
The Siegel boys will play their sectional game on Monday night, as they entertain Ooltewah. The Stars will try to use their size to beat the scrappy, but smaller Owls. Game time at Siegel will be 7pm. Bryan Barrett and Jon Dinkins will have the live play-by-play beginning at 6:30pm.
Men’s Tennis: Blue Raiders fall to South Alabama
March 6, 2010
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Blue Raiders battled against South Alabama at the HEB Invitational but were unable to pull out the win falling 4-2.
Play opened with singles as junior John Peers (left photo), ranked 39th in the ITA Poll, defeated Romain Bocaert 6-0, 7-6 (5).
"Today was disappointing but unfortunately expected. We had a tough day yesterday and to the guys credit they had a battle last night and won after another opportunity missed against BYU," head coach David McNamara said. "They rebounded well and played hard and won. But they should be disappointed with what happen today. Today was going to be a mental battle, a battle that we lost. We should be disappointed because we are better than what we showed today."
Senior Victor Melo fell to Lucas Viel 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 as South Alabama took control from there.
Freshman Shaun Waters lost his match 6-1, 6-4 to Alexandre Bernard and sophomore Matthew Langley fell 6-4, 6-2 to Dauw Kruger.
Senior Alex McCann battled in his match after winning the first set 7-5 but could not pull out the win losing the next two sets 6-4, 6-2.
Sophomore Richard Cowden rounded out play as he faced Christian Kuehne. Cowden won the first set 6-4 but lost the second 7-5. In the third set, Kuehne was leading 1-0 when he retired the match.
"It is the half way point of the season and there are lessons to be learned. This team can go either of two ways. We can learn from the past and make a commitment to get better or we can keep doing what we are doing and disappointments will turn to frustrations and decisions will have to be made at the end of this season," McNamara said. "The best athletes learn from there mistakes and get better. They realize what does not work and they change. We need to get better!"
The Blue Raiders will be back in action Thursday, March 18 when they travel to Montgomery, Ala., to compete in the Blue Gray Classic.
Tennis: Lady Raiders fall to nationally-ranked Golden Panthers
March 6, 2010
MIAMI - The Middle Tennessee women’s tennis team traveled to south Florida to face its third consecutive Top 50 opponent and could not muster a win in a 5-2 defeat to No. 49 FIU Saturday in Miami. The Blue Raiders scored their two points in singles action, while also picking up one doubles victory.
Photo ID: Marietta Bigus won her No. 5 singles match against FIU Saturday.
"We came out making a few too many loose errors at the start of doubles and unfortunately, they are too good of a team to give any freebies to," head coach Alison Ojeda said.
Middle Tennessee (5-3) tallied a win at No. 3 doubles, as newcomers Carla Nava and Yuiri Nomoto handed Maria Spenceley and Maria Jose Vallasciani an 8-4 loss.
"Yuiri and Carla came out extremely focused and determined at the start and maintained that throughout the match. They beat a tandem which had only lost once this season."
The Blue Raiders were then able to claim two singles wins, despite a pair of others going into three sets.
Marietta Bigus defeated Magali Holt at the No. 5 position 7-6 (3), 6-4, while Taylor Coffey won at No. 6 over Vallasciani 6-2, 6-4.
Nava and Nomoto each dropped their opening sets before winning the second and forcing a decisive third to be played. Nava went the distance in the No. 2 spot against Christine Seredni before falling 6-2, 6-7 (3), 10-5.
Nomoto also battled hard in her No. 3 match against Spenceley, but the FIU (7-5) player earned a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory.
"Going into singles, we talked to the girls about laying it all on the line and fighting as if this was the finals of the conference tournament. We did that. We had chances at six out of six singles spots today. Although we lost, we walked away a better team. We look forward to competing Monday."
Middle Tennessee will remain in the Sunshine State and will next travel north on I-95 to face Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla., at Noon Monday.
No. 49 FIU 5, Middle Tennessee 2
Singles
No. 1 #87 Liset Brito (FIU) def. Natalie Araya (MT) 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 Christine Seredni (FIU) def. Carla Nava (MT) 6-2, 6-7 (3), 10-5
No. 3 Maria Spenceley (FIU) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MT) 6-2, 4-6, 6-0
No. 4 Priscilla Castillo (FIU) def. Anna Djananova (MT) 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Marietta Bigus (MT) def. Magali Holt (FIU) 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 6 Taylor Coffey (MT) def. Maria Jose Vallasciani (FIU) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 Brito/Castillo (FIU) def. Araya/Bigus (MT) 8-0
No. 2 Holt/Seredni (FIU) def. Coffey/Djananova (MT) 8-2
No. 3 Nava/Nomoto (MT) def. Spenceley/Vallasciani (FIU) 8-4
Women’s Softball: MTSU 6 – Belmont 4
March 6, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. - Middle Tennessee’s Janele Robinson threw 5.1 innings of work en route to a Blue Raider 6-4 victory over Belmont as the team improved 4-7 on the season as the Bruins dropped to 1-11.
Photo ID: Caitlin McLure scored the winning run in the Blue Raider’s 6-4 comeback victory over Belmont in the second day of the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga.
In victory, the Blue Raider scored six runs on three hits and four errors. Belmont tallied four run off of sevens and five errors.
Robinson struck out three Bruin hitters while allowing five hits and two runs, zero earned. Her record would maintain at 1-0 as her season ERA dropped to ¬4.97.
Middle Tennessee struck first in the second as Kaycee Popham came home on a wild pitch from Belmont hurler Ashley Byers. The Blue Raiders had loaded the bases to that point from a Popham walk, Jessi Couch reach on error and Kandra Singleton hit by pitch. Byers managed to induce a ground out ending the frame allowing only one scored run.
In the fourth, Robinson worked through a jam with Belmont runners at second and third and one out. The rookie receive excellent defensive support on two great catches from outfielder Caitlin McLure and Singleton at second to kill the rally.
"As a pitcher you have to be able to depend on your defense," said Robinson. "I want to go out and strikeout as many batters as I can, but this is a team game and I need their help to do well."
Byers took a no-hitter into the top of the fourth before freshman Kristi Marquez would end hopes by driving a ball to leftfield for a hit. Couch reached on a fielder’s choice with Marquez advancing on a throwing error. Singleton would walk, before Brittney Banania notched her sixth RBI of the season upon reaching on a throwing error. Couch would also score on the play, unearned. Banania leads the squad with in RBIs.
Robinson would find trouble again in the fifth with the threatening Bruins leading off with two consecutive singles. The freshman maintained composure and put down three of the next four batters without giving up a run.
"You will make mistakes and give up hits. I turn the page when I make mistakes and move on to the next hitter."
The Bruins would find the scoreboard in the sixth after two costly MT errors and Robinson wild pitch would bring two runs home. Lindsey Vander Lugt took the mound in a relief appearance. She could not bandage the bleeding, allowing two more runs and giving Belmont the lead 4-3.
Middle Tennessee found resilience at bat in the sixth with a rally started on a Banania walk to be followed by a McLure bunt single. A Byers’ wild pitch would advance both runners and Banania would score. Abel walked and a Natalie Ysais single to third would push home McLure for the lead. An errant Belmont throw on the play scored Abel giving the Blue Raiders a lead 6-4 which they would not relinquish.
Vander Lugt shut the door in the seventh one, two, three en route to her third victory of the year giving her an overall record of 3-5.
The team showed great patience taking seven walks.
Middle Tennessee maintains a decisive series advantage, defeating the Bruins for the 17th time in the 21 meetings between the two schools.
The Blue Raiders will return to action tomorrow as they take on host and top 10 ranked Georgia at 1:30 p.m.
Sunday Night’s SunBelt Championship on WGNS
March 5, 2010
As the Blue Raiders prepare to open play at the Sun Belt Championships, goblueraiders.com sat down with head coach Kermit Davis to get a little insight on the 2009-10 season and the tournament.
Q: Talk about the team’s momentum at this point.
KD: We’ve won 11 of our last 13, have the best road record in conference play (7-2), and have gained a lot of confidence. Confidence is where your team gains momentum. I like the mindset of where we are going, but I still think you keep momentum from the practice during the week. We have been real good so far, and I think that will be very important.
Q: What about the team leadership?
KD: We’ve had some guys emerge. Montarrio Haddock has made a lot of strides developing a leadership role and becoming a really good teammate. Calvin O’Neil has become a more vocal guy on the floor and in the huddle. Desmond Yates has always been a vocal guy. We have also gotten a lot of leadership from newcomers James Washington and Trevor Ottley, who has come on lately. The best teams are the ones that have several good leaders, not just one.
Q: The tournament seedings are such that we could play Denver, then North Texas, and then either Western or Troy. It doesn’t get much tougher than that.
KD: Denver is a totally different preparation than anyone else in our league because of the style they play. They play Florida International first, and FIU only lost by six at Denver, North Texas’ only loss in the last five weeks of the season was to us. The whole tournament is going to be competitive as heck. Lafayette is talented as heck and Monroe only lost to North Texas by three. That’s going to be a tough quarter-final game. Troy and Western split during the season. It’s going to be a difficult three-day, or four-day run for any team.
Q: On the upside of possibly having to play Denver, North Texas and Western, we are 4-0 against those teams this year. On the down side, they are the three teams that have eliminated us from the tournament the last four years. Do the seniors, or do you, feel like we “owe” these teams?
KD: No, I don’t think you owe anything, and I think those are totally different scenarios. We have lost players, as have all three of them, since we played those games. I think its all about who you are right now. I think all of those teams have changed, and have changed positive.
Q: This team seems to be more singularly focused than teams we have taken to the tournament in the past. Do you feel this way?
KD: Not really. Our team is 10-7 in Sun Belt Tournament play over the last seven years, which I believe is the second best record in the league (to Western Kentucky). We have always had a lot of success in the tournament. We haven’t won it yet, which I don’t know if you deem success by that. Last year, we won a first round game, then played North Texas, which was really good, then they lost to Western in a great game in the semis. The year before that, we went all the way to the championship game, and the year before that we beat Troy and South Alabama before losing to North Texas in a heart-breaker in the semi-finals.
Q: The way we are playing right now, the way we have come on at the end of the season, would you like to take this team back to Ohio, Marshall, NC A&T and UAB right now?
KD: No question. I’d like to have a healthy Boogie (Yates) playing. He missed all of those games. And you’d love to have Montarrio in the mind-set he is playing with now, and Calvin, and the improvement of our new guys, JW and Trevor. The maturity of our team is much different I’ve thought about that a lot, and there is no question that we’d be a tough out for all of those teams right now.
Q: What are your thoughts on the All-Conference team this year, both honors and omissions.
KD: There are a lot of good players, and I’d like to congratulate everyone that made it. I was really disappointed for Montarrio Haddock not to make the all-league team, and he’s our leading rebounder and leading scorer. Calvin is playing as good as anybody and James Washington has had a good year,
For Calvin not to be the Defensive Player of the Year is disappointing. (Brett) Royster is a very good shot blocker. Florida Atlantic is maybe the best offensive team in our league, but they are among the worst defensive teams. We may be the best defensive team in the league. I guess most of the voters look at blocked shots and steals. Calvin O’Neil is a “shut down” type of defensive player. That is really disappointing.
Here we are with 13 wins, a share of the conference championship, and we only have one guy on the all-league team, and its Desmond Yates, who by stats is the least productive he’s been in three years. And I told our team that. I told them that every day you get up and try to prove people right or prove people wrong, and we’ve got opportunities in Hot Springs.
Q: What have been the most pleasant surprises on your team this year?
KD: The turnaround of Montarrio Haddock, just his overall demeanor. He’s not where he needs to be, but watching him mature as a teammate, we knew his talent level was good, watching him get himself in shape.
It was not a surprise, but just watching the leadership and the everyday things that James Washington has done for our team. Another has been watching what Calvin has done over the last six weeks, and all of the injuries and things that he has fought through.
He has absolutely emerged as a consistent deal, and we need that in the tournament.
Q: What would a Sun Belt Conference tournament championship do for recruiting?
KD: Obviously, we have a regular season championship, which is really, really important. I think that tests your adversity and merit over 18 games, which is really, really a great accomplishment, something we haven’t done since 1989.
To go to the NCAA Tournament, with all of the national recognition, would be great for the program. Obviously, it gives you a boost in recruiting, and gives you that name recognition all across the country. It helps your program, it helps your players, the coaches, it helps everybody. It’s a business that we are all trying to win, to do good things. It helps Dr. McPhee, it helps Chris Massaro, it helps Alan Farley in fund-raising, it just helps everybody.
Middle Tennessee opens the 2010 Sun Belt Championships on Sunday, March 7 at 9 p.m. after receiving the No. 3 seed and a first round bye. The Blue Raiders will play the winner of Denver vs. FIU.
Q&A with MT Head Basketball Coach Kermit Davis
March 5, 2010
As the Blue Raiders prepare to open play at the Sun Belt Championships, goblueraiders.com sat down with head coach Kermit Davis to get a little insight on the 2009-10 season and the tournament.
Q: Talk about the team’s momentum at this point.
KD: We’ve won 11 of our last 13, have the best road record in conference play (7-2), and have gained a lot of confidence. Confidence is where your team gains momentum. I like the mindset of where we are going, but I still think you keep momentum from the practice during the week. We have been real good so far, and I think that will be very important.
Q: What about the team leadership?
KD: We’ve had some guys emerge. Montarrio Haddock has made a lot of strides developing a leadership role and becoming a really good teammate. Calvin O’Neil has become a more vocal guy on the floor and in the huddle. Desmond Yates has always been a vocal guy. We have also gotten a lot of leadership from newcomers James Washington and Trevor Ottley, who has come on lately. The best teams are the ones that have several good leaders, not just one.
Q: The tournament seedings are such that we could play Denver, then North Texas, and then either Western or Troy. It doesn’t get much tougher than that.
KD: Denver is a totally different preparation than anyone else in our league because of the style they play. They play Florida International first, and FIU only lost by six at Denver, North Texas’ only loss in the last five weeks of the season was to us. The whole tournament is going to be competitive as heck. Lafayette is talented as heck and Monroe only lost to North Texas by three. That’s going to be a tough quarter-final game. Troy and Western split during the season. It’s going to be a difficult three-day, or four-day run for any team.
Q: On the upside of possibly having to play Denver, North Texas and Western, we are 4-0 against those teams this year. On the down side, they are the three teams that have eliminated us from the tournament the last four years. Do the seniors, or do you, feel like we “owe” these teams?
KD: No, I don’t think you owe anything, and I think those are totally different scenarios. We have lost players, as have all three of them, since we played those games. I think its all about who you are right now. I think all of those teams have changed, and have changed positive.
Q: This team seems to be more singularly focused than teams we have taken to the tournament in the past. Do you feel this way?
KD: Not really. Our team is 10-7 in Sun Belt Tournament play over the last seven years, which I believe is the second best record in the league (to Western Kentucky). We have always had a lot of success in the tournament. We haven’t won it yet, which I don’t know if you deem success by that. Last year, we won a first round game, then played North Texas, which was really good, then they lost to Western in a great game in the semis. The year before that, we went all the way to the championship game, and the year before that we beat Troy and South Alabama before losing to North Texas in a heart-breaker in the semi-finals.
Q: The way we are playing right now, the way we have come on at the end of the season, would you like to take this team back to Ohio, Marshall, NC A&T and UAB right now?
KD: No question. I’d like to have a healthy Boogie (Yates) playing. He missed all of those games. And you’d love to have Montarrio in the mind-set he is playing with now, and Calvin, and the improvement of our new guys, JW and Trevor. The maturity of our team is much different I’ve thought about that a lot, and there is no question that we’d be a tough out for all of those teams right now.
Q: What are your thoughts on the All-Conference team this year, both honors and omissions.
KD: There are a lot of good players, and I’d like to congratulate everyone that made it. I was really disappointed for Montarrio Haddock not to make the all-league team, and he’s our leading rebounder and leading scorer. Calvin is playing as good as anybody and James Washington has had a good year,
For Calvin not to be the Defensive Player of the Year is disappointing. (Brett) Royster is a very good shot blocker. Florida Atlantic is maybe the best offensive team in our league, but they are among the worst defensive teams. We may be the best defensive team in the league. I guess most of the voters look at blocked shots and steals. Calvin O’Neil is a “shut down” type of defensive player. That is really disappointing.
Here we are with 13 wins, a share of the conference championship, and we only have one guy on the all-league team, and its Desmond Yates, who by stats is the least productive he’s been in three years. And I told our team that. I told them that every day you get up and try to prove people right or prove people wrong, and we’ve got opportunities in Hot Springs.
Q: What have been the most pleasant surprises on your team this year?
KD: The turnaround of Montarrio Haddock, just his overall demeanor. He’s not where he needs to be, but watching him mature as a teammate, we knew his talent level was good, watching him get himself in shape.
It was not a surprise, but just watching the leadership and the everyday things that James Washington has done for our team. Another has been watching what Calvin has done over the last six weeks, and all of the injuries and things that he has fought through.
He has absolutely emerged as a consistent deal, and we need that in the tournament.
Q: What would a Sun Belt Conference tournament championship do for recruiting?
KD: Obviously, we have a regular season championship, which is really, really important. I think that tests your adversity and merit over 18 games, which is really, really a great accomplishment, something we haven’t done since 1989.
To go to the NCAA Tournament, with all of the national recognition, would be great for the program. Obviously, it gives you a boost in recruiting, and gives you that name recognition all across the country. It helps your program, it helps your players, the coaches, it helps everybody. It’s a business that we are all trying to win, to do good things. It helps Dr. McPhee, it helps Chris Massaro, it helps Alan Farley in fund-raising, it just helps everybody.
Middle Tennessee opens the 2010 Sun Belt Championships on Sunday, March 7 at 9 p.m. after receiving the No. 3 seed and a first round bye. The Blue Raiders will play the winner of Denver vs. FIU.
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