By GREG MENGELT

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Josh Jefferson’s 13 points weren’t enough as host Chattanooga knocked off Middle Tennessee, 77-65 on Wednesday at McKenzie Arena.

Jefferson, who helped lead New Albany to the 2016 Indiana high school state championship, went 4 for 7 from the field, made 3 of his 6 3-pointers and both of his free throw attempts. The Middle Tennessee senior also had 4 steals, 3 rebounds and an assist.

Jefferson got the Raiders started with a 3-pointer on the team’s first possession. His second 3 gave Middle Tennesssee a 20-14 lead with 10:06 remaining before halftime. He scored 4 straight points — two free throws and a layup — and the Raiders led 28-22 with 5:57 on the clock.

The Blue Raiders led 34-31 at the half and extended the advantage to 38-31 early in the second. They led 51-47 after a layup by sophomore forward Tyler Millin, but Chattanooga went on a game-changing 12-0 run to wrest control of the contest.

It was 65-53 Mocs when Jefferson’s 3 narrow the gap to 65-56 with 4 minutes to go. Chattanooga outscored Middle Tennessee 46-22 over the final 18 minutes.

Senior guard David Jean-Baptiste led Chattanooga (10-3) with 24 points. He made 6 of his 8 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Malachi Smith — the team’s leading scorer at 20.3 points per game coming into the contest — added 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. The victory snapped a 2-game losing streak for Chattanooga.

Sophomore guard Camryn Weston scored a team-best 16 points for the Blue Raiders, who are now 9-4 on the season.

Jefferson and the Raiders open Conference USA play next Thursday when they host UTSA. The Roadrunners are 6-6 and have lost three of their last four. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. from the Murphy Center.