MTSU women’s basketball took down Western Kentucky University in the first game of a 100 Miles of Hate doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
In the first of two regular-season meetings, the Lady Raiders (12-9, 7-2 CUSA) defeated the Lady Toppers (5-15, 1-8 CUSA) 81-58 behind a season-best performance from senior guard Alayna Contreras.
Contreras totaled 25 points in Middle Tennessee’s 23-point victory. She also tied her career high in made threes with five makes from beyond the arc, as the Lady Raiders converted 44% from three-point range.
“It’s just big,” head coach Rick Insell said. “When we shoot the ball well, it opens everything else … we brought AC [Contreras] in to shoot. We didn’t bring her in to play defense. We didn’t bring her in to rebound. We brought her in to shoot. And we’ve had to kind of take her through the process, because she’s passed up so many shots early.”
A Minneapolis native and transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Contreras scored 19 points in the first half alone, as MTSU cruised to a second consecutive victory, and a third straight win over WKU dating back to last year.
“I think because of how new we all are, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but it feels good when we get rolling like this,” Contreras said of the team’s recent chemistry.
Contreras wasn’t alone in the double digits, though, as freshmen guards Kirston Verhulst, Macie Phifer and Blair Baugus totaled 15, 20 and 15, respectively. Against the Lady Toppers, Baugus picked up her ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 17 rebounds.
“She’s a bad baby,” Insell said of Baugus. “That’s what she is. That girl can play. Macie Phifer can play, Kirston [Verhulst] can play. I can go right down the line.”
Next up for MTSU is a trip to Springfield, Missouri, to face Missouri State University (13-7, 5-2 CUSA) on Thursday, Feb. 5, before hitting the road to Miami for a game against Florida International University (12-7, 5-3 CUSA) on Saturday, Feb. 7.
Insell wasn’t exactly sure of the mileage between the two schools, approximately 1,305 miles, but he hopes his young team is ready for the challenges of such a lengthy road trip.
“I think next week is a pivotal week for us … that’s a mountain these kids have got to climb, and they’re freshmen,” Insell said. “Let’s see how they handle that. If we can handle that, and we can get a couple of wins, then I’ll come back in and sit down with you, and we’ll talk about where this team can go.”
While the team’s head coach will wait and see, the Lady Raiders feel as if they’ve turned the corner and are ready for the next challenge.
“I think we’re ready for anything, honestly,” Baugus said. “I think we’ve proven that we can play on the road. We take our defense on the road, and that’s what’s going to win us games. So, I think we’re mentally and physically prepared for that.”
To contact the Sports editor, email [email protected].
Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
