Feature Photo by Paige Mast
Story by Brett Walker
Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball (4-1) defeated Tennessee Tech (4-1) by a score of 69-52 at home on Tuesday night.
Before the evening tip, MTSU honored the longtime radio voice of women’s basketball Dick Palmer. Palmer served as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Lady Raiders for 17 years before electing to step down before the start of the 2024 season.
Following the brief ceremony, the Lady Raiders and Golden Eagles got off to a sluggish start. The two teams battled back and forth throughout the first quarter, with MTSU leading 16-10 at the end of the first 10 minutes.
Defense dominated early with both squads feasting off turnovers. The Lady Raiders finally found success on the scoreboard when staying patient in their offense, head coach Rick Insell said.
“When we’re running our offense, we’re scoring,” Insell said after the win. “When we’re freelancing, that’s where our turnovers are coming from. We’ve got to do a better job with that.”
Part of what made Tuesday a tough matchup was the Golden Eagle gameplan. Tennessee Tech disrupted Middle Tennessee’s offense in the first half by packing the paint and limiting scoring chances, guard Ta’Mia Scott said.
In the second half, it wasn’t as effective.
Middle Tennessee came out of the locker room on a 7-2 run resulting in a Tennessee Tech timeout. The hot start pushed MTSU’s lead to 50-39 at the end of the third quarter.
“We just took advantage on the perimeter, driving and shooting,” Scott said.
The six-foot junior, Scott, led the team in scoring with 23 points while providing extra possessions with eight rebounds on the night. Five games into the season, Scott currently leads Middle Tennessee in points averaging 16.8 points per game.
Other top scorers for Middle Tennessee on Tuesday included Jalynn Gregory with 20 points and Courtney Blakely with 11.
MTSU eventually pulled away from Tennessee Tech in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Golden Eagles 19-13 in the final period, handing the Cookeville residents its first loss of the season.
The Lady Raiders will have a week off from games before facing Florida A&M on Nov. 26.
“We have two off days this week,” Scott said. “It just gives me time to go in there and do stuff outside of practice.”
Brett Walker is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines
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