NEWARK, Del. - Middle Tennessee went toe-to-toe with Delaware for 45 minutes but came up just short in an 89-88 overtime loss Saturday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Blue Raiders set the tone early, shooting efficiently and forcing turnovers to grab a 43–41 lead at the half. Torey Alston, Kamari Lands, and Alec Oglesby paced a balanced first-half effort as MTSU capitalized on second-chance opportunities and Blue Hen turnovers, scoring 13 points off their miscues in the first half.

Delaware surged in the second half behind strong perimeter shooting, building a late 10-point advantage, but Middle Tennessee responded with resilience. The Blue Raiders chipped away possession by possession and tied the game at 79-79 when Lands calmly knocked down two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to force overtime.

In the extra period, MTSU continued to battle. Sean Smith buried a clutch three-pointer, and Alston converted at the free-throw line to give the Blue Raiders a one-point lead with under a minute to play. Delaware answered in the final seconds, and a last look for Middle Tennessee came up short at the buzzer.

Alston and Lands led the Blue Raiders with 21 points each, while Oglesby added 20.

By the Numbers
3: The Blue Raiders had three players score 20+ points for the first time since February 2025.
6: Kamari Lands tallied 20+ points for a team-leading sixth time this season.