Regular-season finale set for Sunday afternoon

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Middle Tennessee women's basketball team will hit the court for the final time in the regular season at 3 p.m. Sunday when it plays host to rival Western Kentucky inside the Murphy Center. Blue Raider fans are encouraged to wear blue as the contest will be shown throughout the region on the Sun Belt Network TV package, including Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) locally.

Middle Tennessee has locked up the No. 1 seed out of the Sun Belt's East Division for the upcoming league tournament and holds a four-game edge over FIU and Western Kentucky in the standings. The Blue Raiders are 13-2 in conference play and 22-6 overall and will begin tournament action in the quarterfinals Sunday, March 6.

The last six meetings in the series with the Lady Toppers have gone to Middle Tennessee's favor, as the Blue Raiders lead the all-time meetings 26-23, including an 11-3 record under head coach Rick Insell. MT garnered a 72-66 victory in the two teams' earlier season matchup, Feb. 9 in Bowling Green, Ky.

Western Kentucky brings a 12-15 overall and 9-6 league ledger into the contest, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. The Lady Toppers were knocked off at home Wednesday by FIU in their last outing, putting the two programs in a battle for the second East Division bye. Should the Panthers win their regular-season finale Saturday afternoon against Troy, they would lock up the bye.

Freshman Ebony Rowe continues to lead Middle Tennessee with a double-double average of 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds. She is joined in double-figure scoring by senior Anne Marie Lanning (13.0 ppg) and sophomore Icelyn Elie (10.9), while Elie is second on the squad with 5.7 rebounds per game. <

P> WKU is led by Arnika Brown with 12.1 points per game and LaTeira Owens a point behind with 11.1 on average. The pair is also the top-two rebounders for the Lady Toppers with Brown holding an 8.7-to-7.0 edge.

After the game, the Blue Raiders will recognize the accomplishments of Lanning, Emily Queen and manager Jacob Baum as part of Senior Day festivities. Fans are encouraged to stick around for the brief ceremony.

Lyn Rollins and Debbie Leonard will have the TV call on the Sun Belt Network, the fourth time Middle Tennessee has been featured on the package this season.

The Blue Raider Network tandem of Dick Palmer and Duane Hickey will also have all the action on the trio of stations, WGNS (100.5 FM, 101.9 FM, 1450 AM), WMOT (89.5 FM) and WBRY (96.7 FM, 1540 AM).

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.