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Middle Tennessee (19-3, 9-0) @ UTSA (9-12, 4-4)
Site – Convocation Center.
Time – 7 p.m. Thursday.
Radio/TV – KTKR (760).
Sagarin ratings – Middle Tennessee 60, UTSA 300.
Point spread – Middle Tennessee favored by 13½.
Series: Middle Tennessee leads 2-1, including the Racers’ 79-71 home victory last season.
Middle Tennessee projected starting lineup – F JaCorey Williams 6-8 sr. (17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpf), G Giddy Potts 6-2 jr. (15.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), F Reggie Upshaw 6-8 sr. (14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.8 apg), G Tyrik Dixon 6-1 fr. (5.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.7 apg.), G Xavier Habersham 6-6 sr. (4.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg).
UTSA projected starting lineup – F Jeff Beverly 6-6 jr. (15.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg), C Lucas O’Brien 6-10 sr. (5.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg), G Giovanni DeNicolao 6-3, fr. (8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.8 apg), G Gino Littles 6-0 jr. (6.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 apg), G Byron Frohnen 6-5 fr. (8.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg).
Middle Tennessee factoids – The Racers, tied for the best start in conference play in school history, will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak. Middle Tennessee extended the streak by erasing an 11-point deficit at home against Louisiana Tech to claim a 71-61 victory. Coach Kermit Davis, who directed Texas A&M from 1990-91, has taken his program to the second round of the tournament last season, his fourth tournament trip in 19th seasons as a head coach … Middle Tennessee earlier had an eight-game winning streak before back-to-back losses at VCU and at home against Georgia State. The Racers debuted in the first NCAA RPI of the season as eighth in the nation before rising as high as third. They currently have the 37th-rated RPI in Division I.
UTSA factoids – Byron Frohnen was named as C-USA’s Freshman of the Week on Monday, marking his third award this season. Frohnen averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two games … UTSA will look to extend its nine-game home winning streak that dates back to last season. It’s the longest home streak since the Roadrunners won 11 straight at home at the end of the 2003-04 season and into the 2004-05 campaign. Gino Littles notched a career-high eight rebounds at Marshall and provided a season-best six assists at Western Kentucky … Jeff Beverly went for 20 points at Western Kentucky. It was his third 20-plus scoring in his last six games and sixth 20-point game this season … In UTSA’s last seven games, the Roadrunners have hit only 19.5 percent of the Roadrunners’ 3-point attempts … After shooting 44.3 percent from the field at Louisiana Tech and 42.6 percent against FAU, the Roadrunners have hit a frigid 33.9 percent from the field in their last four games.
They said it:
UTSA coach Steve Henson on his team’s confidence at home: “Our guys are more comfortable at home. There’s no question. Our guys came back this week the way we hoped they would and practiced very well. We know we have to play a great game and put it together. But we showed a lot of positive clips from our game against Western Kentucky. There were a lot of positive things there.”
UTSA guard Gino Littles on his team’s ability to play well at the Convocation Center: “At home we have all the confidence in the world. We know we are 9-0 and haven’t lost.”
Littles on his near double-double at Marshall: “They say we box out and you get all the rebounds. It’s like Russell Westbrook. And if get a rebound, it lets us run faster. I’ve never had a triple-double before. I had double-doubles before, but they were all with assists (and points).”
Tgriffin@express-news.net
Twitter: @TimGriffinBig12
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