Middle Tennessee men’s basketball (3-0) survived the University of Evansville (2-2) Wednesday night at the Ford Center, scraping by 77-72.
Rebounding and efficiency proved strong in the Blue Raiders’ win on Wednesday night, as they outrebounded the Purple Aces 35-31, and shot 49.2% from the field in their first road test of the season.
Torey Alston and James Dent Jr led MTSU, cleaning the glass with six rebounds each.
Kamari Lands led all scorers with 23 points on 6-14 shooting. Most of Middle Tennessee’s points once again came from beyond the arc, converting seven-of-26 three-point attempts on 26.9% efficiency.
Lands’ impressive shooting night helped establish MTSU’s early lead, with 13 points, while Sean Smith went on a small run at the end of the half with five points to put the Middle Tennessee up 36-28.
Coming out of the half strong, Middle Tennessee went on an 8-0 run to stretch its lead to 18 points, 55-37, with 12:06 remaining.
Following a 22-point lead at the 9:56 mark, MTSU’s sloppy back half was riddled with fouls and turnovers, giving the Purple Aces a chance to claw back in.
Within the stretch, MTSU committed seven fouls, giving Evansville 12 free throw attempts, and turned the ball over three times.
With a comeback in reach, down 71-66 with 1:05 remaining, the Purple Aces committed three crucial fouls, sending two Blue Raiders to the line, as they converted four of six free throws in the final minute of action.
A sequence of turnovers and fouls spoiled Evansville’s comeback attempt and secured the win for Middle Tennessee with a pair of successful free throws.
While MTSU celebrates its third consecutive win, it will travel to the Crisler Center to match up against the University of Michigan (2-0) on Wednesday, Nov. 19. The Blue Raiders and Wolverines will tip off at 5:30 CDT on Nov. 19 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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