Featured Photo by Emily Cole/MTSU Athletics

Story by Calvin White

Murfreesboro, TN- Middle Tennessee men’s basketball (14-9, 7-5 C-USA) scored its most points of the season in a back and forth 84-72 win over the UTEP Miners (11-11, 4-7 C-USA) Thursday night at the Murphy Center. 

MTSU led UTEP for most of the game but both teams traded baskets all night. UTEP made a 7-0 run to shrink MTSU’s lead to two with 3:17 remaining. Camryn Weston knocked down two free throws and the Blue Raiders made its last four shots of the game while holding UTEP scoreless to seal the victory. 

The MTSU offense lit the net on fire in the second half, scoring 46 points on 17-for-24 shooting. Deandre Dishman, Camryn Weston, Jestin Porter, and Tyler Millin combined to score 61 of MTSU’s 84 points on a combined 25-for-32 shooting. 

“Real happy with the win,” MTSU head coach Nick McDevitt said. “UTEP is a tough nosed team. Joe [Golding] does a really good job year-in-and-year-out, when he was Abilene and now the last two years at UTEP. No matter who’s on their roster, they are tough, gritty, play hard. So really happy with the win. It was a higher scoring game than I think everybody anticipated.

MTSU stays at home to complete its two-game homestand with UTSA in the Murphy Center on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. 

Calvin White is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can contact him at [email protected].