MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - New Orleans went on a 23-2 run late in the game,
but it was much too late as Middle Tennessee rolled to a 78-60 win over
the Lady Privateers at the Murphy Center on Wednesday night.
Alysha Clark scored 22 points and Brandi Brown added another 18 points
for MT (14-5, 9-1 Sun Belt), who won for the fourth straight game. The
Blue Raiders were able to capitalize on a season-high 32 turnovers by
UNO (7-14, 1-9 SBC), scoring 30 points off the miscues.
Nicole Holmes scored a season-high 14 points after scoring nine points
in the opening half for the Lady Privateers, who lost their sixth
straight.
Amanda McCarthy matched her career-high with 12 points, all
coming off of three-point shorts made in the second half.
A Holmes three-pointer provided the Lady Privateers an early 3-2 lead
and following a MT turnover, prompted Blue Raiders head coach Rick
Insell to call a timeout.
The lead was the last in the game for UNO as MT responded to their head
coach by scoring five straight and 12 of 14 to take a nine-point lead
at 14-5. The Blue Raiders' advantage would enter double-digits for the
first time at 18-7 on a Clark basket before Holmes connected on
consecutive lay-ups to trim the deficit to seven.
Seven points was as close the Lady Privateers as Brown came to life by
making three shots from beyond the arc down the stretch in the first
half, the last giving MT a 19-point lead. A
Tiffina' Bennett
three-pointer followed a
Brittany Helm three-point play amounted to a
6-0 run for UNO.
The points during the run were the last from the field for the Lady
Privateers during the opening half as the Blue Raiders used an 11-1 run
over the final 3:34 of the opening period to take a 48-24 lead into the
break.
The run of the first half rolled over into the second half as Chelsia
Lymon, who had not scored in the first half, came out of the break with
consecutive three-pointers. By the time UNO would make another field
goal, the Blue Raiders had completed a 22-1 run and increased their
lead to 35 at 59-24.
As MT hit 40 for the first time, the Lady Privateers would go on a
lengthy spurt of their own, outscoring the Blue Raiders 23-2. McCarthy
made four three-pointers during the run that brought the lead down to
19 and helped UNO win the second half scoring battle 36-30.
UNO will continue play on the road this Sunday at 1 p.m. against
Western Kentucky. The contest against the Lady Toppers will be
available on the Sun Belt Network and ESPN360.
