If you took a date to Diddle Arena on Saturday night expecting a nice blowout victory to cap off your Valentine’s Day, you likely left with a newfound appreciation for high blood pressure medication.
4,023 in attendance treated Middle Tennessee State with the exact level of love the “100 Miles of Hate” demands: absolutely none. The last five minutes were loud, with the crowd yelling not only at the players but also at the referees, until their veins popped.
“It’s a great win to round out our Valentine’s Day,” Head Coach Hank Plona said. “I’m happy that the largest crowd of the year decided to spend their Valentine’s Day with us. That’s what I would have voted for everybody to do.”
Cupid was in the building in the form of sophomore guard Teagan Moore, who returned after a five-game absence due to injury. He came off the bench to score 28 points on 60% shooting from the field. Senior forward Grant Newell played as a perfect wingman on date night, scoring 20 points and junior guard L.J. Hackman added 14 of his own. Despite no other Hilltopper scoring in double figures,
“I absolutely love it,” Moore said. “That gives you the most confidence in the world, when being out for two weeks can give you an ovation like that. When you come back, just feeling the love from the crowd definitely gave me a boost for this game.”
The Hilltoppers claimed a 55-41 lead in the second half with 16:07 remaining, but as Head Coach Hank Plona said, “in college, it doesn’t stay at 14. It turns into 30, or it’s tied.” And that’s exactly what happened. The Hilltoppers developed commitment issues, going seven of the final eight minutes without a field goal. Despite the shooting drought, they stayed in the zone, converting 28 of 32 free throw attempts.
Despite trailing most of the first half and well into the second half, the Blue Raiders hung around, like an ex that finds any way to message you, even email. They opened the game with a poster dunk, then threw numerous alley-oop dunks all game. In the second half, they shot 55% from the field, due to winning the offensive rebound battle 13-6. But with all of the flash and flair, style points don’t win you rivalry games. Discipline and converting free throw attempts do, especially at an 88% clip as the Hilltoppers did.
At the end of the game, Middle Tennessee had an opportunity to force overtime in an already exhilarating game, but Sean Smith’s game-tying floater clanked off the rim, leaving the Blue Raiders on read after shooting all second half prolifically. Hackman’s tip-in with 1:38 remaining and Moore’s game-winning free throws sealed the win.
The Hilltoppers sit at fourth in the conference with a 7-7 record with six games remaining. An opportunity presents itself for the team to finish as high as second in the conference. Four of their last six are on the road, where they have a 3-5 record.
So, if you didn’t get a Valentine this year, don’t worry. The Hilltoppers got you a season sweep of their biggest rival. And frankly, that’s better than a box of Russell Stover anyway.
