Middle Tennessee (7-5, 1-0 CUSA) fell on the road to the No. 8 University of Houston Cougars (12-1, 0-0 BIG 12), 69-60 in the Blue Raiders final non-conference game of the season.
The Blue Raiders hung tight with the Cougars throughout the night, outmatching one of the nation’s top teams in rebounding and assists while outshooting Houston.
“Very proud of our effort… just disappointed in the result,” MTSU head coach Nick McDevitt said postgame on WGNS. “Not [disappointed] in our players, not in our fight, how hard we played and how together we played.”
MTSU placed an effort on crashing the boards for rebounds before the game against Houston, along with the top two rebounding teams in Conference USA on the horizon.
“That has been the message for the last 48 to 72 hours… it’s going to test whether we can get physical and really rebound with team’s that are terrific at rebounding the ball,” McDevitt said.
One of the referees told McDevitt during the game that as a BIG 12 official, he couldn’t remember seeing a team outrebound Houston at home inside the Fertitta Center.
MTSU picked up 33 boards, while Houston was able to snag 31. The Blue Raiders also outpaced the Cougars in field goal percentage (46.9% to 40.7%) and three-point shooting (39.3% to 30%).
“I think it just speaks to the effort all of our guys were putting into the game, into winning, into each other,” McDevitt said.
Kamari Lands was the star on offense for MTSU in the loss, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including four makes from three. Lands provided a spark for the Blue Raiders late in the second half, knocking down two shots from near the Fertitta Center logo on the court.
“We probably had the best practice we’ve had this year preparing for this game… and I feel like that’s what showed,” Lands said on WGNS.
MTSU’s offense came out of the gates fast, powered by a quick eight points by center Chris Loofe. A native of Leander, Texas, Loofe totaled 10 points and six rebounds for the Blue Raiders in his homecoming.
Loofe’s quick offense, paired with nine points from three-point land by graduate guard Alec Oglesby pushed MTSU to a 19-16 lead at the 7:40 mark in the first half.
Houston quickly responded, as Joesph Tuggler converted an and-one to tie it at 19, and took the lead on a jumper from inside the paint by Tuggler to give the Cougars the lead for good on the next possession.
Tuggler had 13 points on the night, while Kings Flemmings was Houston’s leading scorer with 15 points.
Middle Tennessee trailed 32-27 at halftime, and brought it within two points with 17:04 to play. Houston went on a 27-13 run over the next 13:26, giving itself a 63-47 lead with four minutes to play.
The Blue Raiders tried to fight back late with a 9-2 run to make it a nine-point deficit with 1:36 to play, but ultimately were unable to make it closer than that.
Houston took advantage of MTSU’s offensive miscues throughout the night, causing 19 turnovers. The Cougars scored 30 of their 69 points off these turnovers, while the Blue Raiders scored only three points off six turnovers.
“The key to winning the game was limiting your turnovers,” McDevitt said. “ And that turnover battle was 19 to six. That’s who Houston is, that’s what they do.”
The turnover count was close to even against the Blue Raiders in each half, with nine in the first period of play and 10 in the final 20 minutes.
Torey Alston contributed to Middle Tennessee’s effort against its second ranked opponent of the season, notching his second straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The Blue Raiders were paid $90,000 for their matchup against the Cougars, marking the team’s second payday of the year after getting the same amount for playing the University of Michigan on Nov. 19.
MTSU will return to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to host two CUSA opponents later in the week. The Blue Raiders will welcome Louisiana Tech to the Murphy Center on Jan. 2, 2026, and Sam Houston State on Jan. 4.
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