Middle Tennessee men’s basketball (11-12, 5-7 CUSA) lost its fifth straight conference game in a row to the University of Delaware Blue Hens (7-16, 3-9 CUSA) in Newark, Delaware, 89-88.
A late 12-2 run for the Blue Raiders spanning the final 3:56 of regulation ended with senior guard Kamari Lands sinking two from the free throw line to send the contest to overtime at 79-79. MTSU’s run was sparked by Delaware turning the ball over five times in the final minutes.
The second half saw the Blue Hens jump out to a 75-65 lead, their largest of the game, thanks to junior guard Christian Bliss’ 13-point second half.
Both teams traded early leads to start overtime before redshirt sophomore Torey Alston’s two late free throws gave the Blue Raiders an 88-87 lead. However, Delaware guard Justyn Fernandez’s turnaround fadeaway at 0:16 proved to be the final blow, as Middle Tennessee failed to respond in the final seconds following a timeout.
“What we wanted was something quick so that it didn’t just come down to make or miss,” MTSU head coach Nick McDevitt said on WGNS Radio postgame.
Fernandez posted season highs in points, rebounds and steals for the Blue Hens. The senior guard also went 8-of-8 from the free throw line as Delaware shot 19-of-21 from the stripe. Conversely, Middle Tennessee struggled, sinking 13-of-19 free throw attempts.
Lands and guard Alec Oglesby led the way for the Blue Raiders in the first half, with 13 and 17 points respectively. The first half ended with Middle Tennessee on top 43-41, with MTSU holding the lead for over 16 minutes.
This is the second straight overtime loss for the Blue Raiders, following Monday’s defeat to Florida International, another game in which Middle Tennessee led in the final seconds.
“It’s another hard one,” McDevitt said. “You think about the last two nights, coming down to the last few seconds and you’re ahead, and we didn’t get either one of them.”
For MTSU, it’s the second loss in a row despite scoring 84 or more points, more than in any other loss this season.
“79 points in regulation is enough to win a ball game,” McDevitt said. “We just weren’t able to slow them down.”
The Blue Raiders will look to snap their losing streak in Conference USA play on Thursday, Feb. 12, as Middle Tennessee travels to Kennesaw State University to take on the Owls (14-8, 6-5 CUSA) with tip-off at 5:30 p.m. CDT.
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