MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — After fighting to keep things close in the first half, Middle Tennessee couldn't keep up with rival WKU after the break Saturday.
The Hilltoppers (12-4, 5-2) were the preseason favorite in Conference USA with 11 first-place votes, and they showed why in the second half against the Blue Raiders (3-8, 1-4). They outscored MT 44-37 on its home floor in the last 20 minutes, leading to an 82-67 win.
"I was proud of our team's resiliency and their effort throughout the course of the game," Blue Raiders head coach Nick McDevitt said.