Middle Tennessee\u00a0women\u2019s\u00a0basketball (16-15, 11-7\u00a0CUSA)\u00a0dominated\u00a0St. Bonaventure\u00a0University\u00a0(17-15, 7-11\u00a0A-10)\u00a0in the\u00a0second\u00a0round of the\u00a0Women\u2019s\u00a0National Invitation Tournament, 69-50.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Conference USA\u00a0Freshman of the Year, Blair Baugus, helped\u00a0establish\u00a0the team\u2019s hot shooting and relentless defense, contributing\u00a0a 20-point,14-rebound double-double.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lady Raiders\u00a0controlled both sides of the\u00a0ball\u00a0from the\u00a0opening\u00a0tip, getting\u00a0their offense going\u00a0early,\u00a0with\u00a0an\u00a011-0 run before a Bonnies timeout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
St. Bonaventure responded out of the timeout, going on a 5-0 run, before\u00a0a jumper\u00a0by\u00a0Baugus,\u00a0ended\u00a0the streak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0got up a lot\u00a0[of shots]\u00a0at the beginning, but then they started to catch up,\u201d sophomore guard\u00a0Savannah Davis said.\u00a0\u201cSo,\u00a0I\u00a0think making sure we hold\u00a0the whole thing up\u00a0[the score]\u00a0and not letting them come back is important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the hot start, MTSU finished the quarter with\u00a02-of-7 shooting\u00a0from\u00a0three-point\u00a0territory.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Middle Tennessee\u2019s\u00a0shooting slump carried over into the second quarter, allowing the Bonnies to tie the score at 20 apiece,\u00a0with 6:19 remaining. However, the Lady Raiders shifted\u00a0momentum,\u00a0going\u00a0on a 9-0 run,\u00a0highlighted by\u00a0three consecutive shots from beyond the arc,\u00a0with two\u00a0by\u00a0Davis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came out and turned on our offense early, but then we let them back in\u00a0it,\u201d MTSU head coach Rick Insell said.\u00a0\u201c\u2026we put Savannah in, and Savannah just took the game over offensively.\u00a0She hit every big shot for us.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0last-second\u00a0putback shot by Baugus upped\u00a0Middle\u00a0Tennessee\u2019s\u00a0advantage to 39-27 going into the half.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Going\u00a0into the second half, the Lady Raiders and Bonnies traded early buckets, with both teams garnering second-chance opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
St. Bonaventure converted\u00a0on\u00a05-of-6\u00a0shots\u00a0down to stretch\u00a0to go on a\u00a010-0 run,\u00a0cutting the lead\u00a0to\u00a046-41.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lady Raiders ended their\u00a0nearly five-minute\u00a0scoring drought following\u00a0several pairs of free throw\u00a0attempts\u00a0from Baugus and\u00a0guard\u00a0Macie Phifer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
MTSU went on a 6-0 run to close the quarter, with\u00a0Davis\u00a0connecting\u00a0from\u00a0three-point range to extend\u00a0MTSU\u2019s\u00a0lead back to double digits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An early\u00a0technical foul against Bonnie Aaliyah\u00a0Parker\u00a0in the final quarter\u00a0sent senior guard Alayna Contreras to the stripe, where she\u00a0converted\u00a0both free throws\u00a0at the 8:51 mark.\u00a0Contreras\u00a0again\u00a0scored on a pull-up jumper shortly after.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Contreras and Baugus carried MTSU\u2019s offense on their backs\u00a0to close out the second round WNIT matchup,\u00a069-50.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to build on this,\u201d Insell\u00a0said. \u201cLuckily,\u00a0we get to play back in\u00a0front of our fanbase\u2026I\u00a0knew they were\u00a0in the game from the get-go. Another big game,\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0see where it takes us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lady Raiders\u00a0host\u00a0Cleveland State University\u00a0(25-9, 13-7\u00a0Horizon League)\u00a0in the Super\u00a016\u00a0matchup on\u00a0Thursday.\u00a0Tip-off\u00a0is scheduled\u00a0for\u00a06:30\u00a0p.m.\u00a0CDT\u00a0at the Murphy Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To contact the sports editor, email\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Sidelines on Facebook at\u00a0Facebook.com\/MTSUSidelines<\/a>, on X\u00a0@mtsusidelines<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram\u00a0@mtsusidelines<\/a>. Sign up for our weekly newsletter\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n