Official Game Stats
MOBILE, Ala -- Senior Demetric Bennett scored 32 points, but Middle Tennessee hit 28 of 34 free throws to upset top-seeded South Alabama 82-73 Monday night in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Mitchell Center. The loss was the first for the Jaguars in 18 games at the Mitchell Center this season, ending the second-longest home winning streak in school history.
The Jaguars (26-6) now must wait until Sunday's NCAA Championship Selection Show (CBS, 5 p.m. CDT) to learn their postseason fate. As the top seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, they are guaranteed an NIT berth if an at-large selection to the NCAA does not come.
Middle Tennessee (17-14) became just the sixth team to shoot at least 50 percent against South Alabama this season, hitting 24 of 48 from the field. Their tally from three-point range was nearly as impressive, as they hit 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, South connected on 46.4 percent from the field, but did not hit a three-pointer until 9:42 remaining the game.
The Blue Raiders set the tone early, bolting to a 14-7 lead in the first five-plus minutes. But the Jaguars answered with a 16-6 run that gave them a 23-20 lead with 9:19 left. DeAndre Coleman has six of his eight points during that stretch. Middle immediately took the lead with seven straight points, the last four on free throws after USA Coach Ronnie Arrow picked up his second technical foul of the season.
The Jags went down seven again, 31-24, but eight straight points put them back in front. The teams traded the lead until four straight points in the final two minutes helped USA to a 42-41 lead at the break.
The score was tied at 44 after Bennett hit a layup with 18:03 left when the Blue Raiders pulled ahead for good. Demetrius Green, who finished with 20 points, hit a layup and a conventional three-point play to give Middle a five-point lead. After a Coleman free throw and a Merritt layup to make the score 49-47, the Blue Raiders scored seven straight points for its biggest lead of the night, 56-47 with 10:17 remaining.
South Alabama did not give up without a fight, closing to three, 61-58, on a Daniel Hayles' three with 6:54 to play, but could never get closer. Middle Tennessee hit 13 of 16 free throws over the final 5:33 to hold off any chance of a Jaguar comeback. The last gasp was a pair of Merritt free throws with 1:43 to play, but the Blue Raiders scored the next six points to preserve the upset.
"Middle Tennessee did a good job tonight," Head Coach Ronnie Arrow said. "The bottom line is that they executed in critical situations. We put 60 points on the board (as a goal) and then we didn't come out with intensity defensively. The turning point was that we did not attack their zone well when they got into foul trouble. They executed better than us overall. I am disappointed for our guys. We had a great crowd and this year has done a lot for our program."
