After a big win for No. 7 Middle Tennessee State, who defeated No. 2 Louisiana Tech, the Blue Raiders find themselves looking up yet another mountain Thursday, No. 3 WKU.
In a domination on Thursday, the Hilltoppers defeated the New Mexico State Aggies, 89-69, to claim their spot in the semi-finals, a position that the Blue Raiders secured for themselves on Wednesday.
The history between these two teams is rich, but very few times has the ‘100 Miles of Hate’ rivalry ever found itself in full effect in March. In fact, this will be the first time since both teams joined Conference USA in 2014 that the teams face off in the conference tournament.
Coming off the bench for a 20-point performance in Thursday’s game against the Aggies, Hilltopper center Rodney Howard looks to be a driving factor in WKU’s interior-based conference tournament offense.
The C-USA Sixth Man of the Year’s 20-point game was a career-high. However, it was his efficiency from the field and behind the line that made him such a valuable asset.
Howard’s 70% from the field and 86% from the free throw line, as well as his five rebounds, one steal, and three blocks made him a threat on both ends of the court. A threat that the Aggies just couldn’t keep up with.
In maybe the biggest upset in the C-USA season, MTSU defeated La Tech, 70-67, thanks to a 16-point double double from Blue Raider forward, Jared Coleman-Jones. The All-CUSA Third Team recipient had 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
However, while his 16 points don’t rank as a career-high, his 20-point performance against WKU in their previous match-up indicates that Coach Lutz would likely emphasize Jones.
The winner of this game will play the winner of No. 1 Sam Houston State and No. 5 UTEP in the C-USA Championship Game.
This game tips off at 2:00 CST and is available to stream on CBSSN.
