(George Town, Cayman Island) — Middle Tennessee State University outlasted Murray State in a closely contested battle Saturday, claiming a 90-87 victory behind a dominant performance in the paint and on the boards.
MTSU controlled the game for most of the evening, holding the lead for over 30 minutes compared to Murray State’s six-and-a-half-minute advantage. The Blue Raiders’ largest lead reached nine points midway through the second half, while Murray State’s best margin was just four points early in the first half.
The difference came down to MTSU’s interior presence. The Blue Raiders outscored Murray State 60-46 in the paint and collected 46 rebounds to the Racers’ 34. MTSU’s 17 offensive rebounds led to 20 second-chance points, nearly double Murray State’s 11.
MTSU shot an efficient 50.0 percent from the field (37-of-74) and distributed the ball effectively with 17 assists. The Blue Raiders also connected on 37.5 percent of their three-point attempts (6-of-16).
Murray State kept the game competitive behind a strong bench performance that contributed 44 points, 10 more than MTSU’s reserves. The Racers shot 48.4 percent overall and knocked down seven three-pointers, but struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 69.0 percent (20-of-29) compared to MTSU’s 55.6 percent.
Murray State briefly grabbed the lead at 28-25 with 7:19 remaining in the first half but couldn’t maintain the advantage. The game featured six ties and six lead changes, reflecting the competitive nature of the matchup.
Despite committing 10 turnovers to Murray State’s eight, MTSU’s dominance on the glass and in the paint proved too much to overcome. The Blue Raiders’ ability to generate on-court points (65-34) highlighted their superior execution in half-court sets.
The Racers (4-2) will be back in action Monday against McNeese State (4-1) at 6:30 CST in George Town, Grand Cayman.
