Middle Tennessee (7-2) vs. UT Martin (3-6)
Skyhawk Arena, Martin, Tennessee; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UT Martin seeks revenge on Middle Tennessee after dropping the first matchup in Murfreesboro. The teams last played on Dec. 1, when the Blue Raiders shot 44.8 percent from the field while limiting UT Martin’s shooters to just 40.6 percent en route to a 12-point victory.
SAVVY SENIORS: Middle Tennessee’s Josh Jefferson, Donovan Sims and DeAndre Dishman have combined to score 38 percent of the team’s points this season and have accounted for 39 percent of all Blue Raiders scoring over the last five games.EXCELLENT ELI: Eli Lawrence has connected on 34 percent of the 50 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 12 of 32 over his last five games. He’s also made 68.4 percent of his free throws this season.
SLIPPING AT 73: UT Martin is 0-6 this year when it allows 73 points or more and 3-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 73.
WINNING WHEN: Middle Tennessee is a perfect 6-0 when it turns the ball over 15 times or fewer. The Blue Raiders are 1-2 when they record more than 15 turnovers. UT Martin’s forced 12.6 turnovers per game overall this year and 13 per game over its last five.
DID YOU KNOW: The disruptive Middle Tennessee defense has forced opponents to turn the ball over on 26.1 percent of all possessions, the 17th-best rate in the country. UT Martin has a forced-turnover percentage of only 17.6 percent through nine games (ranking the Skyhawks 270th among Division I teams).
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