
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAU | 7 | 7 | 23 | 11 | 48 |
MTSU | 22 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 63 |

Malashka's 25 leads No. 23 Middle Tennessee women past FAU
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- — Kseniya Malashka scored 12 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter to make sure Middle Tennessee State's first game as a ranked team in nine years wasn't an upset, leading the No. 23 Blue Raiders to a 63-48 win over Florida Atlantic on Thursday night.
MTSU (17-2, 10-0 Conference USA) ran its winning streak to 15 games but the Owls (11-8, 4-6) made it interesting with a third-quarter run after the Blue Raiders dominated the first half.
Malashka, a senior transfer from VCU, scored MTSU's first 12 points of the fourth quarter to keep the lead in double figures. She made three layups, one of them converted to a three-point play, for a 7-0 run that had the lead at 61-43 with 2 1/2 minutes to play.
Savannah Wheeler had all 16 of her points in the first half for MTSU, which was last ranked in the 2013-14 season.
Joiya Maddox led Florida Atlantic with 14 points and Amber Gaston had 10. The Owls have lost 24 straight in the series, which MTSU leads 30-1.
Florida Atlantic made a run in the third quarter, making 10 of 15 shots while the Blue Raiders were 2 of 12, cutting a 26-point deficit to eight. With runs of 8-0 and 9-0, when Gaston made a layup with 48 seconds left in the quarter the score was 45-37. MTSU made four free throws after that to take a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Wheeler opened the game with a 3-pointer and had 11 points in the first quarter as MTSU raced to a 22-7 lead. Florida Atlantic was 2 of 12 in the first quarter and 3 of 12 in the second and trailed 38-14 at the half. Wheeler had 16 points for the Blue Raiders, who shot 40% and forced 13 turnovers.
Florida International is at MTSU on Saturday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP--Top25
Game Information
- Referees:
- Royce Blevins
- Neonta Williams
- Trey Miles
2024-25 American Athletic Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
UTSA | 17-1 | - | 26-5 |
North Texas | 15-3 | 2 | 25-9 |
South Florida | 13-4 | 3.5 | 23-11 |
Temple | 13-5 | 4 | 20-11 |
Tulsa | 11-7 | 6 | 17-15 |
Tulane | 9-8 | 7.5 | 17-13 |
East Carolina | 8-10 | 9 | 17-15 |
Rice | 7-11 | 10 | 17-17 |
UAB | 7-11 | 10 | 16-16 |
Memphis | 5-13 | 12 | 7-23 |
Charlotte | 4-14 | 13 | 11-21 |
Wichita State | 4-14 | 13 | 10-22 |
Florida Atlantic | 3-15 | 14 | 11-21 |
2024-25 Conference USA Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Liberty | 16-2 | - | 26-7 |
Middle Tennessee | 16-2 | - | 26-9 |
Western Kentucky | 13-5 | 3 | 23-9 |
New Mexico State | 10-8 | 6 | 18-16 |
Louisiana Tech | 8-10 | 8 | 18-15 |
Kennesaw State | 7-11 | 9 | 13-18 |
Florida International | 7-11 | 9 | 11-19 |
Sam Houston | 5-13 | 11 | 13-17 |
UTEP | 4-14 | 12 | 11-19 |
Jacksonville State | 4-14 | 12 | 10-20 |