MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee State (17-6, 10-1 C-USA) dominated from start to finish in a 76-43 win over Kennesaw State (8-14, 3-8 C-USA) in what Blue Raider fans could argue was their most dominant performance of the season.
 
The Blue Raiders came out strong, hitting their first four shots to take an early 10-2 lead before missing their first attempt. Courtney Blakely and Jalynn Gregory both hit 3-pointers as part of that run, with Gregory adding another to give MTSU a 13-2 advantage at the first media timeout. Gregory had six points, while Blakely had five. Gregory finished the quarter 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, helping Middle Tennessee build a 20-4 lead heading into the second quarter. Kennesaw State shot just 2-of-21 (9.5%) from the floor in the opening period.
 
Middle Tennessee continued its defensive dominance in the first half, holding Kennesaw State to 10% shooting and preventing the Owls from making a 3-pointer. Offensively, the Blue Raiders were led by Ta'mia Scott, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and an assist. Gregory added another 3-pointer to finish the half 4-of-4 from deep with 12 points and three rebounds. Blakely contributed nine points, five rebounds and four assists, while Anastasiia Boldyreva had eight points, four rebounds and three blocks, helping the Blue Raiders take a 42-11 lead into the locker room.
 
Kennesaw State improved in the second half but was unable to mount a comeback. Scott followed up her 30-point performance from Thursday's game against Jacksonville State with 24 points and eight rebounds. Gregory finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five 3-pointers. Boldyreva recorded 12 points, four rebounds and five blocks, while Blakely posted 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.
 
Defensively, Middle Tennessee held Kennesaw State to 27% shooting and forced multiple turnovers. Five different Blue Raiders recorded at least one steal, and the team allowed only three made 3-pointers. Keyarah Berry led the Owls with 15 points, the only Kennesaw State player to reach double figures.
 
By the Numbers
5: Middle Tennessee improved to 5-0 all-time against Kennesaw State.
11: Tied for the lowest number of points allowed in a half this season and also the highest number of 3-pointers made in a game.
9: Games this season in which Boldyreva has recorded five or more blocks.
5: Different Blue Raiders recorded at least one steal: Blakely, Elina Arike, Gregory, Gracie Dodgen and Savannah Davis.
 
Blue Raider Notes
Middle Tennessee had its fourth out of five regular starters surpass the 100-rebound mark this season when Gregory grabbed her fifth rebound of the game in the third quarter. Boldyreva leads the team with 235 total rebounds.
 
Coach Rick Insell's Thoughts
"I thought we played really well tonight as a team," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell said. "We made a mistake or two that we shouldn't have, and that's what we need to improve on. If you're going to win in the NCAA Tournament, you have to execute the small things. A lot of people look at the score, but we always have to focus on getting better. We're still fighting for an at-large bid, and then we need to take care of business in the Conference USA Tournament. We didn't play down to the scoreboard. Overall, I'm excited about where we're at."
 
Player's Perspective: Senior Guard Courtney Blakely
"I feel like as a team, we had a great few days of prep and came out and dominated," Blakely said. "I play hard for my teammates, and I was happy to contribute today. Our coaches told us we can't play down and have to compete for a full 40 minutes. I think today we took another step toward that goal."



Up Next
The Blue Raiders will take the next week to prepare for a 100 Miles of Hate rematch against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers next Saturday at the Murphy Center at 2:00 p.m. CDT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Blue Raider Network.