The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (15-9, 11-11-0 ATS, 8-5 C-USA) and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (13-11, 9-13-0 ATS, 5-8 C-USA) are set to face off for the second time this season as the season winds down. Middle Tennessee won the first matchup 65-60, their third straight victory over Western Kentucky. Both teams have won their last two headed into this game. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Western Kentucky's E.A. Diddle Arena.
Middle Tennessee has struggled on the road this season, with a 3-7 record heading into this game. However, they've been incredible when visiting Western Kentucky recently, winning five of the last six trips they've taken to face the Hilltoppers.
The Raiders are tied for third in the C-USA standings with their 8-5 record. KenPom has them as the fifth-best team in the conference. Their last two games were double-digit wins over UTEP and UTSA.
The game against UTSA was the most recent, an 84-60 drubbing that saw Middle Tennessee outscore UTSA 49-31 in the second half. Middle Tennessee outrebounded UTSA 44-34 and forced 20 turnovers. The Raiders had three different players with 13 points, and DeAndre Dishman led the team with seven rebounds.
Dish makes the ?? routine! pic.twitter.com/seHPGeR6UD
— MT Bask etball (@MT_MBB) February 5, 2023
Middle Tennessee averages 71.0 points per game, seventh in the conference and fewer than Western Kentucky averages. However, they are more efficient, shooting 46.4% from the field as a team, fifth in C-USA. They struggle at the free-throw line though, only hitting 67.3%, tenth in the conference.
On defense, they hold teams to 66.7 points per game, fourth in the conference this season. However, opponents shoot 44.4% from the floor against the Raiders, 10th out of 11 C-USA schools. The Raiders average 8.0 steals per game, fifth in the conference and 59th in the nation.
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