By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In the history of Tennessee Tech Athletics, no name raises the blood pressure of Golden Eagle fans more than Middle Tennessee. Whether it was a battle for Shinny-Ninny or the Blizzard of "MTSU degrees" that would shower down in the Hooper Eblen Center, there are a lot of memories between the two schools -- just don't call them fond.
While it's been a while since the two teams have squared off in conference play, both the Golden Eagles and the Blue Raiders still see each other often in competition.
Sunday, it'll be the turn for women's basketball as the Tech women host the Lady Raiders at the Eblen Center.
Tipoff for the game is set for 1 p.m. with Dylan Vazzano and Steve Smith providing coverage on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Sunday is Camper Appreciation Day as kids wearing a Golden Eagle women's basketball camp T-shirt can receive free admission to the game and can stay after the game for a 15-minute shootaround. There will also be face-painting and a balloon artist presented by Pepsi.
It is also the Purple Wave game with fans encouraged to wear purple for the contest with a chance to catch a Purple Pride T-shirt, sponsored by Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
The Golden Eagles (2-5) are coming off of a week's rest from the finals and graduation as they enter the contest. Tech had a solid outing in the last game at Kentucky as Maaliya Owens scored a career-high 30 points in the contest, but the Wildcats prevailed 73-67 behind a 33-point, 15-rebound effort from Ajae Petty.
Despite the setback, Tech has fared well in the last four games as the Golden Eagles have taken two Southeastern Conference opponents to the brink, falling by a single point to Missouri down in Daytona, then the six-point affair last week at Transylvania University's Clive M. Beck Center.
However, Middle Tennessee (7-3) claimed its SEC win on Wednesday as the Lady Raiders held Tennessee – yes, THAT Tennessee --- scoreless in the final four minutes of the game to take a 73-62 victory in Huntsville, their first-ever victory over the Lady Vols.
Jalynn Gregory, a nearby Macon County product, led Middle Tennessee with 22 points, while Anastasiia Boldyreva had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks. Savannah Wheeler had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, and Ta'Mia Scott scored 10 points.
Karoline Striplin was the Lady Vols' only double-digit scorer, picking up 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting.
Historically, the Golden Eagles continue to maintain a 55-47 edge in the all-time series, but since Rick Insell took over the MTSU program, the Lady Raiders are 16-1. The lone victory came in 2018 as Kim Rosamond's Golden Eagles topped Middle 68-64 in the Eblen Center.
Last season's meeting with the Lady Raiders was one the Golden Eagles would rather forget with Middle Tennessee taking an 83-45 Education Day victory in Murfreesboro. Tech was short-handed with Maaliya Owens missing that game in the 2022-23 campaign with illness, while Reagan Hurst and Reghan Grimes both putting up 10 points to lead the Golden Eagles.
The Lady Raiders had five double-digit scorers in the game, led by Kseniya Malashka with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 5-for-5 at the line. Wheeler added 16, Gregory 11 and Boldyreva 10.
For the season, MTSU is averaging 69.4 points of offense, allowing 58.5 on the defensive end. The Lady Raiders are shooting .427 from the field, .315 from 3-point range and .738 from the free-throw line.
The strength of the team is definitely in its first five. Boldyreva, a junior center from Moscow, is averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game, while the rest of their usual suspects are all averaging over 10.0 points a game and those five ranging between 32.1 to 36.8 minutes a game. From there, the production drops to 3.0 points and below per game, and a range of 9.5 to 3.1 minutes a game.
The Golden Eagles are averaging 63.7 points per game on offense, 69.1 on defense, while shooting .355 from the field, .355 from 3-point range and .706 at the charity stripe. Owens is averaging 14.3 points per game on .484 shooting, including .409 from long-range. Grimes leads the team in rebounding with a 4.6-carom average, while Cayla Cowart has 3.3 assists per game.
Tickets for the game and the rest of Tennessee Tech's home slate are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center box office or go online to TTUsports.com to order.
