NEW ORLEANS - Alysha Clark and Brandi Brown scored 25 points apiece as Middle Tennessee defeated the University of New Orleans 102-57 on Wednesday night at Lakefront Arena in Sun Belt Conference action.
Brown scored 23 points in the first half for MT (7-4, 2-0 SBC) before passing the baton to reigning SBC Player of the Year Alysha Clark, who scored 18 in the second half.
The Blue Raiders' 102 points were the most scored against UNO (6-8, 0-3 SBC) this year and just the second time a team has surpassed 70 points on the season against the Lady Privateers. Of the seven times a foe has topped 70 against UNO the last two years, MT has accomplished the feat three times.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Lady Privateers, their longest losing skid since dropping six in a row in Feb. 2008. Freshman Amanda McCarthy scored 12 points with Talisha Bridges and Tiffina' Bennett adding 11 and 10, respectively.
In addition to the success by the freshmen in scoring, UNO won the battle of the boards 37-35 with freshman Juanita Cochran establishing a career-high with 10.
MT controlled the tempo from the opening tip with their shooting showcase.
The Blue Raiders scored the first eight points of the game and 13 of the first 15 points thanks to 5 of 6 shooting from the field. Of the first six shots, three were made baskets from beyond the arc, including two from Brown.
Through seven minutes of play, MT had drained all seven three-point attempts with Brown pacing the effort with four, as the Blue Raiders jumped out to a 29-10 lead.
MT continued to find success from the field, ending the first half with a 65.6 percent clip to take a 54-32 lead into the break. Brown led the squad at the half with 9 of 10 shooting, including 5 of 5 from beyond the arc.
UNO started the second half by scoring 6 of 7 points, but could not build off of the start.
The Blue Raiders did not let up through the final buzzer, setting a Lakefront Arena record for opponent three-pointers with 14.
The Lady Privateers will next hit the floor at Lakefront Arena on Sunday at 12 p.m. against Florida International. The contest will be broadcast on the Sun Belt Network, with additional coverage available on ESPN360.
