MURFREESBORO, Tenn. November 13, 2023 — Middle Tennessee men’s basketball dropped just its third home game in three seasons on Monday night, failing to overcome a poor shooting night from outside and at the free throw line in a 66-64 loss to Western Carolina at the Murphy Center.
The Blue Raiders (2-1) shot just 52.1 percent from the free throw line, making 13 of their 25 attempts at the charity stripe. MTSU also shot just 3-for-13 beyond the arc on Monday. The Catamounts (3-0) were able to get into the paint at will, scoring 42 points inside. While MTSU was able to hold the visitors to 36.7 percent shooting in the second half, a late foul drawn by Vonterius Woolbright proved to be the difference, as the guard knocked down two free throws to take the lead in the closing seconds.
Elias King led the Blue Raiders with 14 points, despite a 50 percent clip (4-for-8) at the free throw line and a 25 percent clip (4-for-16) from the field. Jestin Porter was nearly the hero for MTSU, scoring their final two baskets, including the game-tying pull-up jumper, for four of his 13 points. The guard also added a team-high nine rebounds. Josh Ogundele was efficient off the bench, making three of his four shots and knocking down three free throws for nine points.
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