The No. 21 Florida Atlantic Owls (19-1, 9-0 C-USA) will host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (13-7, 6-3 C-USA) at FAU Arena in Boca Raton, FL for a C-USA matchup. The Owls have won 18 consecutive games and will look to extend that to 19 games while the Blue Raiders have won four consecutive games.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have really picked things up as of late after winning four consecutive games following a two-game losing streak. They enter this matchup looking for a big upset against FAU when they head to Florida. In their last game, the Blue Raiders earned a 68-51 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs where they shot 52.1% from the field, 47.8% from beyond the arc, and 87.5% from the free-throw line. In addition, they recorded 27 rebounds, 16 assists, 11 steals, and four blocks while turning the ball over 14 times. They allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 38.8% from the floor and just 14.3% from deep while giving up a free 10 points on the line.
3-0 week ?
Win in a tough place to play ? pic.twitter.com/w8mIxRllKA— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) January 22, 2023
This season, the Blue Raiders' scoring offense is ranked 216th, averaging 69.7 points per game while making 45.9% of their field goals, 67.8% of their free throws, and 32.6% of their 3-pointers. In addition, they are averaging 33.5 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 8.1 steals, and 5.3 blocks while turning the ball over 13.8 times per game. They are yielding an assist/turnover ratio of .83 (313th). Defensively, they are surrendering 65 points per game (67th). Eli Lawrence is the scoring leader, averaging 12 points per game while also contributing 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Deandre Dishman is the rebound leader, avergaing 5.6 rebounds per game while also putting up 11.9 points per game.