NEWARK, Del. – Middle Tennessee (15-13, 10-6 CUSA) beat Delaware (12-17, 6-11 CUSA) on Saturday night, 67-53. 

In the first quarter, Delaware had an early lead 5-0, but Middle Tennessee responded with a 12-0 run to go ahead 12-5. By halftime, the Blue Raiders were leading by 15, with freshman Macie Phifer recording 14 points for a score of 38-23. 

During the third quarter, Blair Baugus scored a layup to extend the lead to 42-30. The Blue Raiders' defense held the Blue Hens to a scoring drought of 2:16. In the fourth quarter, the Blue Raiders opened with a 7-0 run, bringing the score to 60-44. The Blue Hens committed five turnovers in the final three minutes, following a steal by Baugus, which led to a three-pointer by Phifer, assisted by Savannah Davis, extending the lead to 63-44. 

Baugus recorded another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Phifer tallied 22 points, playing the full 40 minutes. Davis, senior Alayna Contreras, and freshman Kirston Verhulst each scored 9 points. 

Coach's Comments:  
"I was really proud of them. I'm very proud of them. We knew we had to come up with a win. I thought we got some good play out of Macie Phifer early. I thought Savannah Davis gave us some big minutes. She held one of their leading three-point shooters to one field goal, one three-pointer."

By the Numbers:  

18: MTSU scored 23 points off 15 turnovers.    

36: Middle Tennessee recorded 36 points in the paint.   

19: MTSU's largest lead was 19. 

UP NEXT:  
Middle Tennessee returns to the Glass House to host the FIU Panthers on Thursday, March 5, inside the Murphy Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and broadcast on ESPN+. 



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