Middle Tennessee heads south to conclude road swing

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The first extended road trip for the Middle Tennessee women’s basketball team will come to a close at 11 a.m. Central Tuesday when the Blue Raiders head to Orlando to face UCF in a rematch of last year’s season opener. The contest will mark the third straight away from the friendly confines of Murphy Center for Middle Tennessee.

The Blue Raiders enter the game having dropped their last outing, 68-48, at ACC foe Georgia Tech Friday night in Atlanta. Freshman Ebony Rowe was the lone MT player to reach double-figure scoring, tallying 10 points to go along with her team-high five rebounds in the setback. On the season, the Lexington, Ky., rookie continues to pace the squad with 15.6 ppg and 9.4 rpg.

She is joined by senior Anne Marie Lanning with 10.4 ppg as the only two Blue Raiders to average double-digit points.

The young Middle Tennessee squad enters Tuesday’s matchup with a 5-2 mark. The Blue Raiders knocked off the Knights, 78-53, in the season opener a year ago in Murfreesboro behind a 32-point, 15-rebound effort from All-American Alysha Clark.

UCF carries a 4-3 ledger into the contest, having knocked off fellow Sun Belt foe FIU, 74-65, Sunday in Miami to move above the .500 mark. D’Nay Daniels netted a career-high tying 25 points to pace the Knight offensive attack.

Dick Palmer will call the action live from UCF Arena on the Blue Raider Network, WGNS (100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM), WMOT (89.5 FM) and WBRY (96.7 FM, 1540 AM).

Middle Tennessee will return to the Murphy Center for its next game after Tuesday, playing host to No. 4 Xavier at 7 p.m. Thursday. The game will serve as the Blue Raiders’ Pack the House Challenge contest, a promotion MT has won the Sun Belt portion two out of the last three years, including last season.

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