MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee women's basketball opens a critical three-game homestand this week with games vs. Marshall Thursday at 6 p.m. and Western Kentucky Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
The Lady Raiders (13-4, 5-2) have an opportunity to move up in the standings against two Conference USA eastern division rivals. WKU (14-4, 7-0) is the lone undefeated team in C-USA play while Marshall (11-5, 6-1) has won six of seven conference games.
 
Last time out - Jan. 22 at Southern Miss (W, 81-71) RECAP
A 28-point fourth quarter was the difference for Middle Tennessee in an 81-71 road win at Southern Miss.
 
Courtney Whitson finished with a double-double, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Fifteen of Whitson's 26 points came in the fourth quarter outpour.
 
Overall, the battle between the Lady Raiders and Golden Eagles featured 12 ties and 11 lead changes. Kseniya Malashka and Anastasiia Boldyreva combined to score 33 points.
 
Putting Middle Tennessee on the map
How good has the Blue Raider defense been? The following is where Middle Tennessee ranks nationally in several categories.

●      Seventh in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage (24.4 percent).
●      Thirty-fifth in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 56.2 points per game.
 
Offensively, MT is ninth in 3-point field goals per game (9.5) and tied for 17th in total 3-point field goals made (161). Courtney Whitson plays 38.7 minutes a game, which leads the country. Saar is tied for 31st in 3-point field goals made (46).
 
Blue Raider notes
●      Middle Tennessee has made 18 consecutive postseason appearances.
●      This season's roster includes five international players from five different countries.
●      Kseniya Malashka was named Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 10. Malashka played a significant role in the wins vs. Rice and North Texas by averaging 17.5 points, three blocks, 2.5 steals and four rebounds.
●      Jalynn Gregory has been named Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice. The Lafayette, Tenn. native is putting up 11.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
●      MT's bench has been strong this season with the Lady Raider bench averaging 23.5 ppg., which is almost three times its average last season.
 
Scouting Marshall
Marshall is off to a hot start to conference play, winning its past three games. Since Dec. 15, Marshall has won eight of nine with the only loss coming at North Texas (54-64) Jan. 13.
 
The Thundering Herd won their first three games of the season before dropping consecutive games vs. Big Ten teams in Purdue and Michigan State.
Savannah Wheeler is the second-best scorer in the conference as she averages 20 points per game. Kennedi Colclough is the second and final Marshall player averaging double figures in scoring this season with 14.1.
 
All-time series
●      Middle Tennessee leads the all-time series 10-2. The teams split the meetings last season with Marshall winning by 23 on March 4, 2021 and the Lady Raiders bouncing back to take the second game 61-54 the next day.
 
Scouting WKU
Western Kentucky is the hottest team in the conference with an undefeated record in league play and a nine-game win streak.
 
Conference USA's leading scorer is Meral Abdelgawad. Averaging 20.1 points per game, the Cairo, Egypt native has been named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List and C-USA Player of the Week three times this season. She scored 36 points vs. Southern Miss on Dec. 30, 2021 and has scored 30-plus points on three other occasions.
 
Abdelgawad leads the conference's top scoring offense. The Hilltoppers score 73 points per game, shoot 44 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from beyond the arc and average 15.6 steals per game.
 
All-time series
●      MT leads what has been a competitive all-time series 37-31. The Lady Raiders have won the past three games, including both meetings in 2021.
 
Upcoming Promotions
Thursday is 90s Night. Music from the decade will be played in the Murphy Center all night. Saturday will celebrate National Women in Sports Day.
 
Options to follow the games
●      Can't make it to the game? Thursday's game will air on CUSA.TV. Saturday's game will stream on ESPN+. Listen to both games on WGNS 1450 AM, 100.5 FM, 101.9 FM or GoBlueRaiders.com/Watch.
●      Fans can also follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.