MIAMI – Middle Tennessee closed out the regular season with a 65-44 win over Florida International on Saturday, securing its third consecutive Conference USA regular-season title.
 
In the first quarter, FIU and the Blue Raiders traded baskets, with Ta'Mia Scott and Jalynn Gregory leading the way. The duo combined for all 11 of Middle Tennessee's points in the quarter, keeping the game tied at 11-11 heading into the second.
 
The Blue Raiders found their rhythm from beyond the arc in the second quarter, shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. Scott and Gregory continued to shine, scoring 13 of the team's 16 points in the period. Anastasiia Boldyreva added three points and grabbed six rebounds, helping Middle Tennessee take a 27-23 lead into halftime.
 
Coming out of the break, the Blue Raiders remained in control. Gregory knocked down another 3-pointer and went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. Courtney Blakely contributed four points and recorded two steals, both of which led to scoring opportunities for Middle Tennessee. Blakely's defensive presence disrupted FIU's offense throughout the game, limiting the Panthers to just 10 points in the third quarter and giving the Blue Raiders a 43-33 lead entering the final period.
 
Blakely took over offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points and drawing key fouls to convert at the free-throw line. She finished the game with 13 points, two assists, and three steals. Gregory led all scorers with 22 points, adding five more in the final period. Middle Tennessee had its highest-scoring quarter of the game with 22 points in the fourth while holding FIU to just 11.
 
The Blue Raiders dominated on both ends of the floor in their regular-season finale, improving to 24-7 overall and 16-2 in conference play.
 
By the Numbers
28: Middle Tennessee capitalized on FIU's mistakes, scoring 28 points off turnovers.
51.1%: The Blue Raiders shot 51.1% from the field.
6: Gregory recorded her sixth game of the season with 20 or more points.
From Head Coach Rick Insell
"You know the season is broken up into three parts, and we are just finishing the second part. We want to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Right now, we'll probably have one team coming out of Conference USA, and it's the automatic qualifier. We knew we had to come into this game, stay healthy, and get into that tournament and get after it."
 
Up Next
The Blue Raiders head to Huntsville, Alabama, for the CUSA Tournament, where they enter as the No. 2 seed. Middle Tennessee will face the winner of UTEP and Kennesaw State on Wednesday, March 12.