MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In Western’s match-up with rival Middle Tennessee on Sunday, the nation’s leading scorer, MTSU junior forward Alysha Clark, wasn’t the Lady Toppers’ biggest problem.
While the junior had a Murphy Center record 45 points, Western (16-12, 10-8 Sun Belt) turned the ball over 20 times, losing 87-61.
The turnover statistic has proven to be unkind to the Lady Toppers throughout the season, as they have lost five out of eight times when Western has turned the ball over 20 or more times in a game.
But that wasn’t the only stat that kept Western from making a comeback. The Blue Raiders (25-5, 17-1 Sun Belt) also scored 27 second chance points, and that stat stood out more than any other to associate athletic coach David Graves.
“I think, as we all know, you always have to take care of the basketball,” Graves said. “I think more than (the turnovers), the biggest thing was giving second shots, the 19 offensive rebounds, but they’re a team shooting a percentage like that – you gotta limit them to one shot.”
Head coach Mary Taylor Cowles didn’t make herself available to the media following the game, choosing to send Graves instead. Western players were also unavailable following the loss.
Western was also without the services of sophomore forward Arnika Brown. Brown, the Sun Belt’s leading rebounder and fifth best rebounder in the country, played just four minutes for what Graves said were “personnel decisions.”
The last time the two teams met on Jan. 14, Clark only scored 18 points while Brown brought down 20 rebounds. The absence of Brown didn’t go unnoticed by the Blue Raiders.
“We were actually definitely surprised,” Clark said. “You know she’s up for (most valuable player) of the conference, so we figured she’d come out here and give us a good game.”
The Lady Toppers also had to play the last nine minutes without sophomore guard Amy McNear after she fell to the court and hit her tailbone.
Prior to halftime, McNear left the game to have her knee examined by Western trainers.
When Western came back onto the floor afterward, McNear had put a brace on her knee.
With McNear out, sophomore guard Hope Brown took over for the Lady Toppers, scoring seven of their last 14 points in the game.
While Western shot 42.9 percent from the field in the second half, compared to the Blue Raider’s 41.2, it was MTSU’s ability to hit nine three-pointers to Western’s zero that created even more distance between the two teams.
“We just wanted to, as coach said, play with their runs,” MTSU junior guard Chelsia Lymon said. “They had a big run in the first half, so we just had to take our time and just keep doing what we know how to do best, and that’s to run our offense and just play straight up defense.”
“I think we did get under (Western’s) skin a little bit with turnovers, but I think we just stayed with our game plan.”
Because of the loss, Western will now host Louisiana-Monroe in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament. The game will be played at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Diddle Arena. Students will get in free with a valid ID.
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