In what has been a roller-coaster season for the Lady Raiders, February was much of the same.
The Lady Raiders scored wins over Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Rice and Charlotte but dropped contests to Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Alabama-Birmingham. Going 4–3 for the month puts Middle Tennessee at 17–11 on the season.
Although the season has not gone as planned thus far, the Lady Raiders did move into a tie for fourth place in Conference USA with LA Tech. Gaining full control of the No. 4 spot would be key for the Lady Raiders in the C-USA tournament, as that is the last seed that will receive a bye.
February also saw the re-emergence of Alex Johnson. Johnson, the Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year, was injured in the first game of the season and has struggled to return to form. However, the junior forward did play and start every game during February, and she posted season highs in points (24) and minutes (37) against Charlotte in the last game of the month. Johnson averaged 16 points per game for the month, which is more than a six-point improvement on her season average entering the February schedule.
Should Johnson return to the full form that Lady Raiders fans have witnessed the last two years, MT could make a nice run in the C-USA tournament. Coach Rick Insell will need to continue to get strong supporting performances from Abbey Sissom and Jess Louro, who have been key contributors in keeping the team afloat throughout Johnson’s recovery.
The defense has remained a constant for the Lady Raiders throughout the season. Although they fell a few spots in scoring defense rankings, they do remain the 27th-best defense in the nation. If they can find consistency on offense—and a healthy Alex Johnson will help—then they stand to make a lot of noise in the upcoming conference tourney.
The Lady Raiders have one game remaining on the 2017–18 schedule, a homestand against Old Dominion on March 3. This game is a must-win if they hope to secure that coveted fourth spot in the conference.
