MT welcomes UTEP for Conference USA showdown

I know there were some hurt feelings when newcomer MT got the preseason nod over UTEP. And this past week MT senior KeKe Stewart made 11 3s (2nd most NCAA ever, 35 pts) in one game but was not selected C-USA player of the week. A UTEP player was selected instead. I'm sure Coach Insell is going to use that for motivation.

Ought to be a good game.

Kyla Thornton was named player of the week for averaging 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds including a 22 rebound game. The 20-20 game against Tulsa was the third time this year a player from CUSA has done that. Thornton was also top 20 in ten of thirteen statistical categories. This will be the game of the year for the conference.

I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

UTEP is averaging a league best 81.1 pts/game while MT's 12th ranked defense (nationally) is only giving up 55.1 pts/game, which is a league best.

Something's gotta give. Me thinks it will be UTEP's shooting. Glad we get this one at home.

I think the game being at MT will be the difference. UTEP is a really good team.

MT has one of the best home court crowds in the nation. Our fans are loud and rowdy and they show up. I think that's the deciding factor here. Go Blue! Hope the Raiders can pull off a BIG home win.

(01-14-2014 03:21 PM)stanman505 Wrote:  Kyla Thornton was named player of the week for averaging 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds including a 22 rebound game. The 20-20 game against Tulsa was the third time this year a player from CUSA has done that. Thornton was also top 20 in ten of thirteen statistical categories. This will be the game of the year for the conference.

That's really great but:

KeKe Stewart made 11 3s (2nd most NCAA ever)

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

That's also what all the Sun Belt fans said each year... and then we went undefeated. In several years.

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

Not being cocky, just realistic. If there's one team on campus that I have confidence in, it's the Lady Raiders. Message board talk doesn't mean anything, but we've been to the NCAA tournament 7 out of 8 years, beaten top 10 teams, play extremely tough OOC schedules every single year with success, were the preseason pick to win the league, have the highest RPI, etc. We're clearly the favorite and the best program in the league. I get that UTEP and USM are good teams. I expect close games against both, but CUSA hasn't had a women's program as strong as ours in a while I would imagine.

One of USM's losses is to Mississippi State. We beat the dog piss out of Mississippi State.

(01-15-2014 07:52 AM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 03:21 PM)stanman505 Wrote:  Kyla Thornton was named player of the week for averaging 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds including a 22 rebound game. The 20-20 game against Tulsa was the third time this year a player from CUSA has done that. Thornton was also top 20 in ten of thirteen statistical categories. This will be the game of the year for the conference.

That's really great but:

KeKe Stewart made 11 3s (2nd most NCAA ever)

The award is for Player of the Week These are the stats for the week for each player

Thornton 23 pts, 7 reb 66% FG, in 26 minutes
22 pts, 20 reb, 50% FG in 28 minutes

Stewart 35 pts, 7 reb 40% FG (12-30) in 35 minutes
12 pts, 6 reb 38% FG in 30 minutes

Both had good weeks and both had one amazing game, but IMO Thornton had the better week.

I am really looking forward to the game. It should be a great one.

(01-15-2014 09:15 AM)MTowho Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

Not being cocky, just realistic. If there's one team on campus that I have confidence in, it's the Lady Raiders. Message board talk doesn't mean anything, but we've been to the NCAA tournament 7 out of 8 years, beaten top 10 teams, play extremely tough OOC schedules every single year with success, were the preseason pick to win the league, have the highest RPI, etc. We're clearly the favorite and the best program in the league. I get that UTEP and USM are good teams. I expect close games against both, but CUSA hasn't had a women's program as strong as ours in a while I would imagine.

One of USM's losses is to Mississippi State. We beat the dog piss out of Mississippi State.

I notice you say "we"...do you play on the team? Coach it? or are you just another bandwagon fan that lives their lives thru 18 to 21 year olds?

(01-15-2014 09:23 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 09:15 AM)MTowho Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

Not being cocky, just realistic. If there's one team on campus that I have confidence in, it's the Lady Raiders. Message board talk doesn't mean anything, but we've been to the NCAA tournament 7 out of 8 years, beaten top 10 teams, play extremely tough OOC schedules every single year with success, were the preseason pick to win the league, have the highest RPI, etc. We're clearly the favorite and the best program in the league. I get that UTEP and USM are good teams. I expect close games against both, but CUSA hasn't had a women's program as strong as ours in a while I would imagine.

One of USM's losses is to Mississippi State. We beat the dog piss out of Mississippi State.

I notice you say "we"...do you play on the team? Coach it? or are you just another bandwagon fan that lives their lives thru 18 to 21 year olds?

I'm a fan of the team? I typically say we when referring to my favorite sports teams, like most sports fans. I'm die hard enough to post on a message board. I don't think it's that weird.

(01-15-2014 09:35 AM)MTowho Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 09:23 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 09:15 AM)MTowho Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

Not being cocky, just realistic. If there's one team on campus that I have confidence in, it's the Lady Raiders. Message board talk doesn't mean anything, but we've been to the NCAA tournament 7 out of 8 years, beaten top 10 teams, play extremely tough OOC schedules every single year with success, were the preseason pick to win the league, have the highest RPI, etc. We're clearly the favorite and the best program in the league. I get that UTEP and USM are good teams. I expect close games against both, but CUSA hasn't had a women's program as strong as ours in a while I would imagine.

One of USM's losses is to Mississippi State. We beat the dog piss out of Mississippi State.

I notice you say "we"...do you play on the team? Coach it? or are you just another bandwagon fan that lives their lives thru 18 to 21 year olds?

I'm a fan of the team? I typically say we when referring to my favorite sports teams, like most sports fans. I'm die hard enough to post on a message board. I don't think it's that weird.

It's not weird. I do it sometimes as well. I think it's what fans do. We get carried away and actually we are a part of our athletic programs. Wouldn't be any football or basketball teams without fans.

Good enough.. I won't even say yet that we are a good team because we are so young, but you do play us in Hattiesburg, so we should be competitive. Kinda rubs me wrong when a fan is arrogant about something they had nothing to do with with an exception if just being a fan. Good luck to your team this year.

(01-15-2014 09:48 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  Good enough.. I won't even say yet that we are a good team because we are so young, but you do play us in Hattiesburg, so we should be competitive. Kinda rubs me wrong when a fan is arrogant about something they had nothing to do with with an exception if just being a fan. Good luck to your team this year.

To be honest a lot of us here are probably donors (myself included) and such so we do have a much bigger role than just being a fan. So it really is about "we" as a team.

(01-15-2014 09:08 AM)Ole Blue Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 08:43 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 04:27 PM)MTowho Wrote:  I expect a good game but we should take this one. Our OOC schedule should have us prepared to run through the conference schedule relatively unscathed.

LOL...another Stilljonesing to look "forward"to....We'll come back at the end of the year and discuss this statement again.

That's also what all the Sun Belt fans said each year... and then we went undefeated. In several years.

Not several but you did go undefeated in the SBC twice.

It has been a few years since the UTEP women's team has been to the NCAA tournament. The last time the women made it was 11-12 when they lost to Penn State. Prior to that the team was there in 07-08 and beat WKU in the first round before losing to Stanford. I think the team could have made the tournament for a second time in a row last year but we lost two starters to season ending knee injuries in the first two game. By the end of last year the team had four players to season ending knee injuries and yet the women won 22 games.

(01-15-2014 09:16 AM)stanman505 Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 07:52 AM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 03:21 PM)stanman505 Wrote:  Kyla Thornton was named player of the week for averaging 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds including a 22 rebound game. The 20-20 game against Tulsa was the third time this year a player from CUSA has done that. Thornton was also top 20 in ten of thirteen statistical categories. This will be the game of the year for the conference.

That's really great but:

KeKe Stewart made 11 3s (2nd most NCAA ever)

The award is for Player of the Week These are the stats for the week for each player

Thornton 23 pts, 7 reb 66% FG, in 26 minutes
22 pts, 20 reb, 50% FG in 28 minutes

Stewart 35 pts, 7 reb 40% FG (12-30) in 35 minutes
12 pts, 6 reb 38% FG in 30 minutes

Both had good weeks and both had one amazing game, but IMO Thornton had the better week.

I am really looking forward to the game. It should be a great one.

I'm fairly certain that a record setting (second most ever) is about as good as it gets for a weekly stat.

Second place isn't a record