Middle Tennessee women’s basketball fall to archrivals Western Kentucky for first conference lost.

Middle Tennessee women’s basketball conference win streak ends with road lost to Western Kentucky in the 100 Miles of Hate.

Jacob Burgess, Lead sports reporter • January 18, 2025

Paige Mast

MTSU head coach Rick Insell against Tennessee, 11-12-2024.

Middle Tennessee fell to rival Western Kentucky in the 100 Miles of Hate series for the Blue Raiders first conference lost in 34 games.

The Blue Raiders led going to half with a nine-point lead but a disastrous third quarter saw them lose the quarter by 11 points.

The loss marks the end of MTSU’s conference win streak that it started two weeks ago with a win over Liberty.

Western Kentucky held three Middle Tennessee starters to a combined 10 points. Jalynn Gregory was held to one made three pointer, Courtney Blakely was held to five points and Elina Arike to two points.

The loss pokes hole in the armor that MTSU women’s basketball held in Conference USA going back to the 2022-2023 season.

Middle Tennessee next game is against Sam Houston back at home on Jan.23. The home edition of 100 Miles of Hate is set for Feb. 15.

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About the Contributors

Jacob Burgess, Lead sports reporter

I cover anything and everything when it comes to middle Tennessee sports. I'm majoring in sports media and work with multiple student media organizations. When outside of school, I like to cook for friends and family and bike around town.

Paige Mast, Multimedia editor

I'm the multimedia editor for Sidelines — an all-things photography and social media enthusiast. Whether I'm curating content for our social media pages or capturing moments through the lens, I love combining creativity and media strategy. When I’m not working, I’m reading or knitting over a cup of coffee, hanging out with my friends, or behind the camera at a game, doing what I love.