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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee outscored the University of South Alabama men’s basketball team 46-20 in the first half and cruised to a 68-52 win Saturday afternoon at the Murphy Center.

The Blue Raiders (13-2, 2-0 Sun Belt) got a double-double from LaRon Dendy on 21 points and 11 rebounds. Dendy scored 18 of those in the first half on 9-for-10 shooting from the floor.

The Jaguars (8-4, 0-1 SBC) saw their four-game winning streak snapped.

“They just out-physicaled us, there’s no other way to explain it,” said USA head coach Ronnie Arrow. “I know that we outrebounded them but they took us out of our offense, that’s why we shot 30 percent from the floor. Our guards have got to be able to withstand pressure and today we didn’t do that. Our point guards had six of our ten turnovers in the first half. I was glad to see our guys cut it to a respectable score but we have to get off to a better start. That is a very good team and they have good players at every position.”

MTSU shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half. USA contributed with 10 turnovers leading to 10 Middle Tennessee points.

The Blue Raiders took control with a 7-0 run midway through the first half. Following a rebound and dunk from junior Javier Carter (Dallas, Texas), James Gallman hit a 3-pointer, and after a steal, JT Sulton slammed one home for a 10-point lead. The Jags missed a 3-point attempt on their next trip down the floor and Dendy converted a layup on the other end.

The final 8:11 of the first half was all Middle Tennessee. A layup from Dendy started a half-ending 18-4 run as the Jaguars hit just one field goal before intermission.

“They’re very physical and play well together,” said Arrow. “They look to get each other a shot. A lot of times in the first half we tried to make one shot worth 15 points and we just started shooting the ball. We were unreliable in running our offense.”

A 10-1 spurt by the Blue Raiders upped their lead to 21 before junior Xavier Roberson (Houston, Texas) hit a basket at the 3:13 mark to end a 5 ½ minute stretch without a field goal.

It would be USA’s last before halftime as MTSU scored eight of the next nine points, including a Dendy dunk as the buzzer sounded.

Middle Tennessee’s lead would extend as far as 32 early in the second half, but the Jags kept battling and outscored the Blue Raiders 30-14 in the final 15 minutes of the contest. The USA defense held MTSU to 32 percent shooting in the final period and forced nine turnovers.

“We just have to get back and go to work,” said Arrow. “We have to be more patient. This was a team let-down in terms of physicality. We got whipped on the guard side and we got whipped inside. But the positive thing was, we outrebounded them.

“I think we that we got going in the second half and our effort was a lot better,” Arrow continued. “I like our guys on this team. The bottom line is, we have to learn how to play consistently more physically.”

Saturday marked the return of Roberson who missed the previous five games with a foot injury. He had six points and one assist in 20 minutes of work.

“X is one of those guys, when he shoots the ball, you feel like it’s going in,” said Arrow. “He’s a competitor; he’s like their guards. He’s going to hit you and I was glad to see him out there.”

Sophomore Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) was the only Jaguar in double-figure scoring with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including 10 points and 10 boards in the second half alone. His double-double is the sixth of the season.

Marcos Knight had 17 points and Raymond Cintron added 11 for Middle Tennessee.

South Alabama returns home to host the first of two home games next week, starting with North Texas Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: The Jaguars lost for the first time this season when a player records a double-double (7-1) and the second time when outrebounding an opponent (8-2)… Carter extended his streak to nine straight games with at least one block and moved into a fifth-place tie all-time in South Alabama history—one more will tie him for fourth… USA is now 1-2 all-time in games played on New Year’s Eve… The 26-point deficit at halftime was USA’s second-biggest of the season (FSU, 28)… The Jags have lost their last two trips to the Murphy Center by a combined 39 points… Senior Antione Lundy (Saginaw, Mich.) had seven of his eight rebounds on the offensive glass… MTSU came into the game leading the nation in field goal percentage (52.1%)... South Alabama has outrebounded its last nine opponents... Rubit’s six double-doubles lead the Sun Belt, as do his 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—