It has been quite the season for the Middle Tennessee St. Blue Raiders. During the regular-season, MTSU picked up impressive victories over UCLA, Belmont and Akron. The Blue Raiders also took care of business in Sun Belt play, as they earned the No. 1 seed following a 14-2 record in conference play.
If the Blue Raiders want to continue their season in the NCAA Tournament, winning the Sun Belt tournament will likely be the only way to make that happen. This quest begins with a matchup against Arkansas St., who MTSU defeated in the lone meeting during the regular-season.
The Blue Raiders are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, ranking 4th in the nation in team shooting percentage. Middle Tennessee St. does an excellent job of using its depth, as it has 10 guys that play at least 10 minutes per game. LaRon Dendy is the primary offensive option, averaging a team-high 14.8 ppg and a team-high 7 rpg.
Arkansas St. advanced to this game after an impressive 70-55 victory over FAU. Marcus Hooten, who is the leading scorer for the Red Wolves, led the way with a team-high 23 points on 8/12 shooting. Three other guys scored in double-figures for Arkansas St., which held the Owls to just 35.6% shooting from the field.
This game, which will be played at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark., can be seen on both ESPN3 and the Sun Belt Network
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