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MURFREESBORO WEATHER

MTSU women drop second straight C-USA game




Middle Tennessee’s Courtney Whitson had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 58-53 loss at UTSA on Saturday. PHOTO BY MT ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Middle Tennessee’s Courtney Whitson had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 58-53 loss at UTSA on Saturday. PHOTO BY MT ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

SAN ANTONIO — Middle Tennessee women’s basketball attempted season-high 75 field goal attempts, including a program record 54 3-point attempts, but couldn’t get enough shots to fall in a 53-58 loss to UTSA Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Raiders, coming off a 65-62 loss at UTEP, held a tight lead for the majority of the first half. A 14-4 run to start the second stretched the MTSU lead to 36-25 at the 4:54 mark in the third quarter.

Middle Tennessee, which entered last week ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll and 23rd in the Coaches Poll, dropped to 18-4 overall and 11-2 in Conference USA.

After the Roadrunners erased the deficit, the two teams exchanged shares of the lead for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter until a late 8-0 run put UTSA in front for the final 3:54.

“We didn’t deserve to win again,” MTSU coach Rick Insell said. “We had a 10-point lead there in the third quarter and we started playing individual ball instead of team ball.

“We had 10 rebounds, got outrebounded 50-40. They have the best player in the league. Jordyn Jenkins is the best player in the league. She’s a pro. No if ands or buts about it. When she got the ball, she fouled out almost everybody we had.

“We didn’t make good decisions. Every time we went inside, they blocked the ball and got a layup. That led to their momentum.”

MTSU’s Courtney Whitson recorded her 10th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Eight of Whitson’s boards were on the offensive glass.

Savannah Wheeler finished with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Kseniya Malashka added nine points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Middle Tennessee is home for two games next week, beginning with Western Kentucky on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Murphy Center.

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