Featured photo by Preston Todd
Story by Calvin White
Murfreesboro, TENN- A strong defensive effort once again propelled Middle Tennessee women’s basketball to a dominating exhibition win, thrashing the University of the Cumberlands 103-53 in the Murphy Center.
The Lady Raiders disrupted the Patriots’ offense all game, racking up 12 steals and three blocks. Courtney Whitson and Ta’Mia Scott had four steals each.
The Patriot guards had success penetrating the MTSU defense early and finding teammates for open shots under the basket or on the perimeter. The University of the Cumberlands also pulled down seven offensive rebounds in the first half for eight second-chance points.
Although it gave up more points in the second half than in the first half, the MTSU defense tightened up in the last 20 minutes. Scott was the standout defender throughout the game, not allowing the Patriot guards to beat her off the dribble and initiate the offense.
Along with her four steals, Scott blocked one shot when she recovered after getting beat on a backdoor cut and rejected a Patriot shot attempt at the basket. MTSU head coach Rick Insell thinks Scott played much better defense than she did Friday against UT Southern.
“I thought Ta’Mia did a great job for us,” Insell said. “She cut several passing lanes and that’s what we’ve been looking for. She only had nine points but she had four steals and if I can get that position doing that every night, we’re going to be pretty good.”
With her length and lateral speed, Scott has the potential to be the defensive stopper that Alexis Whittington was for the Lady Raiders last season. If Scott can get her defense to that level, along with her rebounding and ability to finish around the basket, the sophomore guard could turn out to be a crucial player for MTSU this season.
Scott only played 8.3 minutes per game last season but in her increased playing time through the first two exhibition games, she has pointed out how she had to learn to defend differently in college than she did in high school.
“In high school, they just told me to go score and I would just block shots on defense but it’s a whole different ball game in college. In this program, we have to learn to ice ball screens and there weren’t many ball screens in high school. It’s a lot different but I’m adapting.”
Scott’s potential not only raises her ceiling but MTSU’s ceiling. She registered the second-highest +/- on the team at 43. The box score doesn’t tell the entire story of Scott either. There were times when she would cut off a Patriot passing lane and force a bad pass or cause the offense to stall.
Ta’Mia Scott is rapidly solidifying her spot in Insell’s rotation. She could play a crucial role on a team that has its eyes set on another Conference USA championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Calvin White is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
