The Blue Raiders, ranked 19th in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and 20th in the Associated Press poll, have won a school-record 16 straight games, eclipsing the old mark of 15 on Sunday with an 84-57 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.

Only eight other times in school history before this season had a Blue Raider team won 10 games or more in a row. The current 16-game streak is tied with Stanford for the third longest nationally behind North Carolina (23) and Duke (22).

Senior Krystle Horton recorded her 12th career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds against UL, while senior Chrissy Givens netted 23 points with eight rebounds.

Middle Tennessee stands 5-3 all-time versus Denver with five consecutive victories in the series. All eight of the games have been played since Middle Tennessee joined the Sun Belt before the 2000-01 season.

The Blue Raiders dropped the first three contests against the Pioneers, two on the road and the other at the 2002 SBC Championships in New Orleans. Since then Middle Tennessee has won five straight, including three at home, one in Denver and the other at the 2004 SBC Championships in Bowling Green. This will mark the third straight game in the series played in Murfreesboro.

Denver enters Wednesday's game 12-8 overall, 7-4 in the Sun Belt after a 73-68 defeat at home to Western Kentucky on Saturday. The Pioneers are led by Tyesha Lowery, who averages 12.6 points per game, while Sara Benham scores 10.7 per outing. Alisha Godette, a transfer from Arizona State, leads the club with 5.5 rebounds per contest. Denver averages 62.0 points per game and shoots just 39 percent from the field, including 30 percent from 3-point range. But Pioneers opponents hit just 37 percent from the floor.

Middle Tennessee finishes its current three-game homestand Saturday against South Alabama at 3 p.m.

NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY THIS WEEKEND: Middle Tennessee will host the annual Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday, February 3, in conjunction with the women's basketball game against South Alabama that begins at 3 p.m. Interested parties may purchase a $10 ticket that includes a game ticket, a hot dog and a soda. A two-hour clinic prior to the game is also part of the day as well, as all of the girls being recognized at halftime of the game. Call the Middle Tennessee Ticket Office at 615/898-2103 or 1-888-YES-MTSU for more information.

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