January was an exceptionally strong month for the Lady Raiders, and also one with some intriguing changes to the lineup.
MT got their conference schedule started out right with a dominant home win against what was expected to be a strong UAB team. Coming into the match-up, the Blazers led C-USA in opponent-points-allowed per game with 54. The Lady Raiders would not be stifled, however, as they scored 68 points. On top of that, they held the Blazers to a season-low 40 points.
When asked how important it was to get the conference schedule started with a win, coach Rick Insell joked, “Well, the first win in the conference is big. Now we don’t have to win but 17 more; we did have to win 18 at the beginning of the day.”
Insell’s hopes of winning all 18 conference games were dashed when MT traveled to El Paso to take on UTEP. The Lady Raiders struggled mightily from the field in the first half, but they were able to flip the script in the second half as far as shooting percentages go. However, the 15 point-deficit was just too large of a mountain to climb.
MTSU fared better on their trip to San Antonio to play UTSA. The Lady Raiders never trailed in their 74–63 win, but their performance was unfortunately overshadowed by what will hopefully not be the biggest story of the season for the Lady Raiders.
Sophomore Rebecca Reuter
The absence of preseason C-USA Player of the Year in the box score at UTSA was hard to miss. The story developed into a “he said, she said” situation. The athletics communications office confirmed that Jones was indefinitely suspended, while Jones maintains that she quit the team. The news was not a surprise to those who have followed Jones’ career closely, as relations between Jones and Insell had been characterized as tense for some time, according to multiple sources. Jones was later granted her release from MTSU and will finish her career at Tennessee State next season.
Jones’ departure has certainly done no harm to the success of the Lady Raiders. MT has posted a 6–1 record since her departure, including a win over WKU, which ended a 14-game winning streak for the Lady Toppers and gave them their first loss in conference play.
Freshman forward Alex Johnson has inherited the role of the third option, and is making the most of it. Johnson has been named C-USA Freshman of the Week four times this season, and twice last month. In the seven games since Jones’ departure, Johnson has averaged 16 points and four rebounds, improving on her averages of 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds prior.
Abbey Sissom, who assumed the starting role vacated by Jones, has been a valuable addition to the starting five. While her stat line doesn’t jump off the page like Johnson’s, her value goes beyond those numbers. She has been arguably the best defender on the team on and off the ball, and the team’s play seems to be more cohesive in her presence.
Ty Petty
It is still the play of Brea Edwards and Ty Petty that fuels this team. In the 360 minutes of basketball the Lady Raiders played in January, Edwards and Petty each sat for only 30 minutes this month. Coach Insell bragged about the conditioning of his team before the season began, and these two players have certainly proven his assessment to be true.
Not only have Edwards and Petty played all these minutes, but they’ve played them at a high level. Edwards was named C-USA Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 21, which marks her third honor. She averaged 16.5 points and seven rebounds for the month, and came up with an incredible steal to clinch the win against Charlotte.
Petty has played the role of combo guard to near perfection. She has proven to be more than just a distributor over the last month by averaging 16.2 points, but still is keeping her teammates involved as her 5.7 assists per game proves.
February will be a month for the Lady Raiders to prove their resiliency, as they will play five of seven games on the road. However, you can catch them at Murphy Center on Feb. 11 against Louisiana Tech, and on Feb. 13 against Southern Mississippi.
