By GREG MENGELT
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Former New Albany star Josh Jefferson knocked down five 3-pointers to help Middle Tennessee defeat Coastal Carolina 84-80 at the Murphy Center on Sunday afternoon.
Jefferson, who helped New Albany win the 2016 state championship, was 6 for 10 from the field and 5 for 9 from behind the 3-point arc. The senior had 4 rebounds and 2 assists for the Blue Raiders, who improve to 9-3 on the season with the win.
“It was probably the most complete win we had all season,” Middle Tennessee head coach Nick McDevitt said. “It took everybody’s best effort. Any time you play a Cliff Ellis coached team, you’re going to face a team that’s tough. They’re physical around the basket, they’re one of the best teams in the country at offensive rebounds. They’re going to throw the book at you defensively, they switch up defenses a lot, try to trip you up, get your mind working fast and slow your feet down. I thought our guys did a nice job of playing physical and being alert mentally to what they were throwing at us.”
Middle Tennessee trailed early, but Jefferson’s first 3 pulled the Raiders to within 11-9 with 14:23 to go in the first half. Less than a minute later, Jefferson nailed another long ball to put his team ahead 13-12.
At the 11:35 mark, Jefferson made it 3 for 3 from deep and put the Raiders ahead 18-16. Middle Tennessee trailed 37-35 at the half, but Jefferson’s fourth 3-pointer gave the Raiders a 51-49 edge.
With 8:03 to go, Jefferson’s fifth 3-pointer put Middle Tennessee on top 64-59. The Chanticleers (7-4) got within 65-63 with 4:51 left, but back-to-back baskets by freshman guard Teafale Lenard and sophomore guard Camryn Weston pushed the lead to 70-63 with 4:04 remaining. Coastal Carolina’s Rudi Williams hit a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left, but two free throws by Middle Tennessee senior guard Donovan Sims sealed the victory.
“We all want the best for each other, everybody in the program from the coaches to the players,” Jefferson said. “So we’re playing our hearts out for each other, making the right decisions, and so far so good.”
Four Raiders scored in double figures. Freshman guard Justin Bufford had 12 points, Sims added 11 and sophomore guard Eli Lawrence had 10 for Middle Tennessee, which hit 12 3-pointers.
“I like everything that I’ve seen from our team so far,” McDevitt said. “We’ve shown the ability to win our home games, win neutral site games, now we’ve got to continue sneaking more wins on the road. I like the fact that we’re 6-0 at the Murphy Center. You have to do that to be towards the top of the conference. You have to win all your home games and you have find a way to sneak some out on the road.”
Williams, a senior guard, had a game-high 26 points for the Chanticleers, who entered the contest with a 3-game winning streak and had scored over 100 points in back-to-back games.
The Raiders, who have won six of their last eight games, go to Chattanooga on Wednesday night. Jefferson and the Blue Raiders can be seen battling the 9-3 Mocs at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
