Saturday, January 4
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
4:00 PM ET/3:00 PM CT
Liberty University
8-5,1-1CUSA
41
at
69
Middle Tennessee
10-5,2-0CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Liberty
5
12
12
12
41
Middle Tenn.
16
17
27
9
69
Asia Boone
Middle Tennessee Defense Locks Down Liberty, 69-41
1/4/2025 6:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In a nationally-televised rematch of the 2024 CUSA Championship title game, Middle Tennessee repeated the result. The Lady Raiders got 49 points from the backcourt pair of Jalynn Gregory and Ta'Mia Scott while holding Liberty to a season-low point total in a 69-41 decision, Saturday afternoon at the Murphy Center and on ESPNU.
Liberty, which falls to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in CUSA play, committed 24 turnovers and struggled shooting from the field (15-of-51 for 29.4 percent) and three-point range (4-of-20 for 20 percent). The Lady Flames are now 13-4 in their last 17 matchups with CUSA opponents, with all four losses coming to Middle Tennessee.
The Lady Raiders (10-5, 2-0) extended a number of winning streaks. Most notably, their 31st straight win over a CUSA foe set a new conference record. Middle Tennessee has also won 16 consecutive home games overall and 30 straight home meetings with CUSA opponents. The Lady Raiders are tied with Louisiana Tech atop the early conference standings at 2-0.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Bella Smuda – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks; Pien Steenbergen – 5 points, 5 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals.
Middle Tennessee Individuals: Gregory – 26 points, 4 steals, 6-8 3FG; Scott – 23 points, 8 rebounds; Anastasiia Boldyreva – 8 points, 9 rebounds; Coutney Blakely – 8 points.
Key Team Stats: Middle Tennessee finished at 37.3 percent (25-of-67) from the floor and 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from beyond the arc. The Lady Raiders controlled the interior, as evidenced by advantages in rebounding (41-37), points in the paint (26-12) and second-chance points (12-6). Middle Tennessee converted Liberty's 24 turnovers into 31 points. All 11 Liberty players in uniform scored points as Liberty's reserves tallied 19 points to Middle Tennessee's 0.
Turning Point
Middle Tennessee set the tone from the get-go, limiting Liberty to as many points (5) as turnovers (5) during the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the wing duo of Scott and Gregory tallied six points apiece to stake the home team to an early double-digit advantage.
Middle Tennessee led 16-5 after 10 minutes of play, and its lead never dropped below double digits the rest of the afternoon.
Game Summary
First Quarter
Liberty will return to Lynchburg for its first home game in nearly a month, Thursday vs. Sam Houston (7-5, 0-2 CUSA). Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Liberty Arena, and the contest will air on ESPN+.
Liberty, which falls to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in CUSA play, committed 24 turnovers and struggled shooting from the field (15-of-51 for 29.4 percent) and three-point range (4-of-20 for 20 percent). The Lady Flames are now 13-4 in their last 17 matchups with CUSA opponents, with all four losses coming to Middle Tennessee.
The Lady Raiders (10-5, 2-0) extended a number of winning streaks. Most notably, their 31st straight win over a CUSA foe set a new conference record. Middle Tennessee has also won 16 consecutive home games overall and 30 straight home meetings with CUSA opponents. The Lady Raiders are tied with Louisiana Tech atop the early conference standings at 2-0.
Box Score Highlights
Liberty Individuals: Bella Smuda – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks; Pien Steenbergen – 5 points, 5 rebounds; Elisabeth Aegisdottir – 3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals.
Middle Tennessee Individuals: Gregory – 26 points, 4 steals, 6-8 3FG; Scott – 23 points, 8 rebounds; Anastasiia Boldyreva – 8 points, 9 rebounds; Coutney Blakely – 8 points.
Key Team Stats: Middle Tennessee finished at 37.3 percent (25-of-67) from the floor and 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from beyond the arc. The Lady Raiders controlled the interior, as evidenced by advantages in rebounding (41-37), points in the paint (26-12) and second-chance points (12-6). Middle Tennessee converted Liberty's 24 turnovers into 31 points. All 11 Liberty players in uniform scored points as Liberty's reserves tallied 19 points to Middle Tennessee's 0.
Turning Point
Middle Tennessee set the tone from the get-go, limiting Liberty to as many points (5) as turnovers (5) during the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the wing duo of Scott and Gregory tallied six points apiece to stake the home team to an early double-digit advantage.
Middle Tennessee led 16-5 after 10 minutes of play, and its lead never dropped below double digits the rest of the afternoon.
Game Summary
First Quarter
- After Elisabeth Aegisdottir tied things up at 3-3 with an early triple, Liberty managed only one more made field goal during the remainder of the first quarter.
- The Lady Flames trailed 16-5 after shooting just 13.3 percent (2-of-15) and committing five turnovers during the first 10 minutes.
- Ta'Mia Scott tallied eight of her 14 first-half points during the second quarter, helping the Lady Raiders push their advantage as large as 19 points (33-14) on Jalynn Gregory's triple 1:59 before halftime.
- Liberty trailed 33-17 after a first half where Middle Tennessee turned its 10 turnovers into 16 points.
- Jalynn Gregory single-handedly matched Liberty's total of 12 third-quarter points, helping the Lady Raiders more than double up the Lady Flames on the scoreboard, 27-12.
- Middle Tennessee's lead reached 31 points (60-29) by the end of the third.
- Liberty notched 12 fourth-quarter points to Middle Tennessee's nine, as the home team misfired on 14 of 17 field goal attempts during the stanza.
- Smuda's game-high four blocked shots matched her season high. She ended the contest with 858 career rebounds, just one behind Carla Weaver for 10th place on Liberty's all-time list.
- Aegisdottir equaled her career high with a team-best three steals.
- Point guard Jordan Hodges finished as Liberty's leading rebounder, equaling her season high of seven boards.
- Liberty is now 7-0 when winning the rebounding battle this season but 1-5 when being outrebounded.
- The Lady Flames' 41 points were the team's fewest since an 88-39 loss at No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 11, 2022.
Liberty will return to Lynchburg for its first home game in nearly a month, Thursday vs. Sam Houston (7-5, 0-2 CUSA). Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Liberty Arena, and the contest will air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Lib
MTSU
FG%
.294
.373
3FG%
.200
.304
FT%
.778
.750
RB
37
41
TO
24
11
STL
6
9
Game Leaders
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
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