Ebony Rowe taking the free throw that would give her the school all-time scoring record. Images courtesy goblueraiders.com.

The MTSU Women’s basketball team rides a 17-game win streak into the month of February, which will include a hefty dose of Conference USA play on the tail end of their season.

The Lady Raiders have an 18-3 record in early February, after beginning the season with a tough 1-3 start, including losses to SEC powerhouses Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky.

Senior Ebony Rowe recently became Middle Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer during a victory against Old Dominion on Jan. 25 at the Murphy Center.

Rowe entered the game just seven points shy of Kim Webb’s program record of 2,148 points. The Lexington, Ky., native made her first six points from the floor, and went for a layup from the left side of the basket in the first half, aiming for Blue Raider history. Rowe was fouled from behind during the shot attempt, making the first free throw to tie Webb’s record, and breaking it with her second shot.

“The crowd was so amazing and they wanted it so bad for me,” noted Rowe. “I really almost cried, and I know it sounds so corny but it was just a great atmosphere and I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else but here.”

Webb, the former record holder, congratulated Rowe after the game.

“Records are meant to be broken,” Webb said via Twitter. “Congratulations Ebony! Great Job! . . . I didn’t realize I would hold the record for so long.”

Rowe, who is averaging 22 points per game for the season, was also named to the Academic All-District team, meaning she will then advance to the ballot for the Academic All-America team.

“She’s just been a great young lady, a great leader, and a great student-athlete,” said head coach Rick Insell after the victory against Old Dominion. “Very few of those come along. She’s very humble. She’s probably the happiest young lady that’s in the dressing room just because we won the ball game, not because she’s the all-time leading scorer now.”

MTSU occupied the No. 21 spot in the national rankings as of Feb. 2.

Meanwhile, the men’s basketball squad has seen some success on the hardcourt this season as well.

They sit at 15-7 in early February, with 6′ 8″ forward Shawn Jones leading the team in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.

“We’re playing a lot better team defense,” Head Coach Kermit Davis said. “Shawn Jones is helping us a bunch in the back. He’s just a force. When he’s not blocking shots, he’s around and everybody knows he’s around. That helps your defensive field goal percentage.”

The Blue Raiders will be back in action Thursday, Feb. 6, traveling to Florida Atlantic for a 6 p.m. tip-off in Conference USA action.

After a two-game swing through South Florida, the Blue Raiders will host Tulane, Southern Miss and Rice later this month in Murfreesboro.

In tennis action, both the men and women’s teams are in full swing as well, as the men have posted a 1-3 record in dual match play thus far this year, with the women at 2-1.

Ground has recently been broken at Murfreesboro’s Old Fort Park for a new indoor tennis facility, soon to be available for use by both the Blue Raiders and the general public.

The track & field season is also underway; MTSU men’s and women’s track & field teams produced six first-place finishes at the recent TSU Invite in Nashville.

Eliud Rutto

In the 200-meters, MTSU teammates Andre Hamilton (22.04) and Demitrius Shelton (22.09) battled it out and finished first and second, respectively.

The Blue Raiders swept the triple jump with Cordario Golden winning the men’s competition (15.08m), and India Hammond leading the ladies (12.73m).

Hammond also set a new personal-best time in the 55-meter hurdles (8.01), but placed second behind teammate Christal Wilson (7.97).

Shaina Johnson took home her second first place in the 400-meters this season and set a new best time of 55.64.

Freshman Jackline Kiprono competing in the 5,000-meters for the first time indoors, placed first with a time of 17:45.26.

The women’s team took the top team score at the TSU invite as well.

That same weekend, MTSU sophomore Eliud Rutto competed against other collegiate athletes as well as professionals and Olympians at the Hilton Garden Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C.

There, Rutto posted a 800-meter time of 1:48.98 and a second place finish. (The finishing time converted to an official 1:47.45, due to the indoor track being 200 meters.)

The Blue Raiders will be back in action at two separate meets this month, the Iowa State Classic Feb. 14-15 in Ames, Iowa and the Cupid Classic on Feb. 14 in Birmingham, Ala.

For more information on Blue Raider athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.

Ettore Zito in tennis action

THIS MONTH FOR BLUE RAIDER BASKETBALL
Men
Feb. 6 @ Florida Atlantic 6 p.m.
Feb. 8 @ FIU 1 p.m.
Feb. 13 Tulane 7 p.m.
Feb. 15 Southern Miss 1 p.m.
Feb. 20 @ Charlotte 6 p.m.
Feb. 22 @ Marshall 1 p.m.
Feb. 27 @ LA Tech 6:30 p.m.
Mar. 1 Rice 5:30 p.m.

Women
Feb. 5 @ Southern Miss 7 p.m.
Feb. 8 Rice 2 p.m.
Feb. 12 @ FIU 5 p.m.
Feb. 15 @ Florida Atlantic 11 a.m.
Feb. 19 Marshall 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 Charlotte 3 p.m.
Feb. 26 @ East Carolina 6 p.m.
Mar. 1 UAB 3 p.m.

TENNIS
Men
Feb. 9 @ Vanderbilt 1 p.m.
Feb. 14 @ VCU noon
Feb. 16 Northwestern 10 a.m.
Feb. 16 Tennessee State 6 p.m.
Feb. 28 @ Cornell 2 p.m.
Mar. 2 @ Columbia noon

Women
Feb. 7 Austin Peay (Nashboro Village) 2 p.m.
Feb. 9 Lipscomb (Nashboro Village) 11 a.m.
Feb. 14 @ ETSU 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 15 Winthrop (Johnson City, Tenn.) 8:30 a.m.
Feb. 22 Chattanooga (Nashboro Village) 1 p.m.
Feb. 28 Tennessee State 2 p.m.