The No.2-seeded Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders face the Charlotte 49ers in the third round of the CUSA tournament at Legacy Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10.
The Blue Raiders played well in their last game, barely hanging on to beat FIU 61-58 in their last matchup. Reggie Upshaw was a key piece, recording his ninth double-double of the season with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The 49ers, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-69 win against Rice in the 2. Jon Davis was the team’s top scorer, registering 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
Joseph Uchebo and Braxton Ogbueze have upped their production over the last five games for the 49ers. Uchebo has averaged 17.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.4 steals during that stretch, while Ogbueze has put up 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 4.2 three-pointers.
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball security could play a key role in the matchup. Middle Tennessee commits the 22nd-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 17.4%), while Charlotte’s pesky defense causes the 31st-most (opponents’ TO% of 18.3%). Also, the 49ers commit the 10th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.4%), while the disruptive defense of the Blue Raiders causes the 19th-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.6%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Blue Raiders winning the first matchup 73-72. Giddy Potts had a stellar game with 29 points, five rebounds, one steal, one block, and seven three-pointers.
Notes
The Charlotte 49ers have a defensive rating of 110.0 (ranked 44th), while the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have an offensive rating of 105.7 (ranked 188th).
With 68.3 possessions and 1.057 points per possession, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders perform worse on both metrics than the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte averages 72.4 possessions and 1.089 points per possession.
The Charlotte 49ers average an effective field goal percentage of 51.3% this season. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have split their games this season (5-5) when opponents have an eFG% of 51.3% or greater.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders average 20.0 three point attempts per game, while the Charlotte 49ers attempt 21.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Middle Tennessee has a solid record of 13-6, while Charlotte is an even 8-8.
Charlotte ranks 73rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24. Middle Tennessee is ranked lower at 133rd with an A/TO of 1.12.
The Charlotte 49ers make an average of 6.1 steals per game. When the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders give up 6 or more steals, they are a winning 8-5.
