LaRon Dendy wants MTSU basketball fans to have brunch at Murphy Center today.
The Blue Raiders host Arkansas-Little Rock in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference clash nationally televised on ESPN2 at noon. Dubbed a Blue-Out, Dendy wants MTSU fans to arrive early and create an atmosphere worthy of the event.
?MTSU fans, please come to the arena an hour early,? Dendy said. ?This is going to be a good game, and you?re going to see the best of MTSU basketball.?
The game matches division leaders in the Sun Belt. MTSU (22-4 overall) leads the East at 11-1, while UALR (12-13) tops the West at 9-2 in league play.
With four regular-season games remaining, no contest will carry more weight in the conference race.
?Coach has brought it to our attention about these being big games right now,? MTSU point guard Bruce Massey said. ?We were on national TV last week at Denver, and we didn?t come out and play like it was a big game and we got exposed. We have to come out and play with energy because we?re playing for first place.?
By prior arrangement between the schools, MTSU will wear its road blue uniforms for the Blue-Out home event. Fans also are encouraged to come clad in blue.
Today marks MTSU?s fourth home game ever on national TV. The other three came in 1988 (Eastern Kentucky), 1989 (Eastern Kentucky) and 1998 (Murray State) at Murphy Center.
A week ago, the Blue Raiders lost 75-60 at Denver on ESPN2.
?We had more than 7,000 people here (Thursday versus Western Kentucky) and hopefully we?ll have that many or more (today),? MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. ?And hopefully we?ll be better on national TV a second time around.?
MTSU?s 22 wins are equal to the most in the regular season in program history. The overall record for regular season and postseason combined is 23 victories, which the Blue Raiders can reach today.
Entering today?s game, only No. 1 Kentucky (24), No. 2 Syracuse (24) and No. 9 Murray State (23) have more wins than MTSU.
?There are only like four or five schools in the country right now with our record, and we want the stakes to keep rising,? Dendy said. ?We?ve got new records to get to.?
UALR, the defending Sun Belt tournament champion, has won four games in a row for the league?s longest current winning streak.
MTSU is coming off a 72-64 win over Western Kentucky Thursday in which Dendy had career highs in points (26), rebounds (14) and assists (4).
MTSU sophomore forward Shawn Jones will likely miss a second straight game with a strained tendon in his left foot.
The Blue Raiders host Arkansas-Little Rock in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference clash nationally televised on ESPN2 at noon. Dubbed a Blue-Out, Dendy wants MTSU fans to arrive early and create an atmosphere worthy of the event.
?MTSU fans, please come to the arena an hour early,? Dendy said. ?This is going to be a good game, and you?re going to see the best of MTSU basketball.?
The game matches division leaders in the Sun Belt. MTSU (22-4 overall) leads the East at 11-1, while UALR (12-13) tops the West at 9-2 in league play.
With four regular-season games remaining, no contest will carry more weight in the conference race.
?Coach has brought it to our attention about these being big games right now,? MTSU point guard Bruce Massey said. ?We were on national TV last week at Denver, and we didn?t come out and play like it was a big game and we got exposed. We have to come out and play with energy because we?re playing for first place.?
By prior arrangement between the schools, MTSU will wear its road blue uniforms for the Blue-Out home event. Fans also are encouraged to come clad in blue.
Today marks MTSU?s fourth home game ever on national TV. The other three came in 1988 (Eastern Kentucky), 1989 (Eastern Kentucky) and 1998 (Murray State) at Murphy Center.
A week ago, the Blue Raiders lost 75-60 at Denver on ESPN2.
?We had more than 7,000 people here (Thursday versus Western Kentucky) and hopefully we?ll have that many or more (today),? MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. ?And hopefully we?ll be better on national TV a second time around.?
MTSU?s 22 wins are equal to the most in the regular season in program history. The overall record for regular season and postseason combined is 23 victories, which the Blue Raiders can reach today.
Entering today?s game, only No. 1 Kentucky (24), No. 2 Syracuse (24) and No. 9 Murray State (23) have more wins than MTSU.
?There are only like four or five schools in the country right now with our record, and we want the stakes to keep rising,? Dendy said. ?We?ve got new records to get to.?
UALR, the defending Sun Belt tournament champion, has won four games in a row for the league?s longest current winning streak.
MTSU is coming off a 72-64 win over Western Kentucky Thursday in which Dendy had career highs in points (26), rebounds (14) and assists (4).
MTSU sophomore forward Shawn Jones will likely miss a second straight game with a strained tendon in his left foot.
