Featured Photo by Lucas Larkin
Story by Jenna Roberts
The No. 21 Middle Tennessee Lady Raiders fall to the UTSA Roadrunners 58-53 Saturday afternoon on the road in San Antonio, TX.
At the end of the first half, the Lady Raiders had a slim advantage leading 22-21. With 4:54 remaining in the third quarter, MTSU had a 36-25 lead after 14-4 Lady Raider run. The Roadrunners made a comeback to tie the game up. Following that, the two teams traded the lead for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter before UTSA went on a late 8-0 run to take control in the last three minutes, for a final score of 58-53.
“We didn’t deserve to win again,” MTSU head 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.”
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.
The game was low-scoring, highly defensive, and extremely physical. Despite this, Courtney Whitson played another outstanding game, recording her 10th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds—eight of which were on the offensive glass.
“I don’t think we handled being on top very well,” Whitson said. “If you’re on top, that doesn’t mean you lay down, it means you work even harder, since there’s a target on your back.”
The Lady Raiders seek to avenge its loss in the upcoming game against Western Kentucky Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT in the Murphy Center.
Jenna Roberts is a sports reporter for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story \, you can contact her at [email protected].
