” wonderment that accompanies a bracket-shattering upset, sophomore guard Giddy Potts received the kind of validation that drives so many overlooked mid-major players.
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No more time spent pondering the past.
“We have to make sure we understand there’s a lot to be done, a lot that can be done”.
“I had just gotten out of practice and I had a lot of text messages running up and down my phone that MT had gone up 15-2”, Massey said.
“They outplayed us”, Izzo said.
Middle Tennessee will face 10th-seeded Syracuse in the second round Sunday.
It’s been a odd season for Syracuse, who didn’t play in the postseason last year, then had to deal with the nine-game ACC suspension of coach Jim Boeheim this year.
MTSU kept things close and even briefly seized the lead in the second half, but Syracuse exploded with a 21-2 run over a 10-minute period to completely put the game out of reach.
“I know it sounds clichéd, but our guys had a belief they could win”, Blue Raiders coach Kermit Davis said. “We were up three and we came up with a huge rebound and I was like, okay, we really got this. We were just here trying to have fun and get it done”. “And their perimeter was absolutely terrific”. While several “experts” criticized the NCAA selection committee’s decision to include the Orange in the tournament, the Orange have made the most of their shocking entry, winning their first two games against Dayton and Middle Tennessee by an average of 22 points.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The insufferable zone of Syracuse ground Middle Tennessee State’s magical March ride to a halt, and the Orange beat the Blue Raiders. Reggie Upsha scored 21 points while Giddy Pots added 19 points for MTSU. Now, they have an opportunity to dethrone another member of college basketball royalty in No. 10 seed Syracuse on Sunday.
In Syracuse’s second round win over the Blue Raiders, Gbinije once again led the charge.
“They won’t be defined by this game”, said Davis.
Though Syracuse got some good fortune in the draw to avoid facing Michigan State in the second round, its pair of commanding victories here – including Friday against a Dayton team that won the Atlantic 10 regular season title – seemingly justified the selection committee’s decision to include the Orange despite losing five of its final six games prior to the tournament. The reason we made it through this year was because of one guy.
Reality hit Middle Tennessee State guard Jaqawn Raymond as he walked triumphantly off the floor. “What tonight says is how far we’ve come as a team”. MTSU shot 55.9 percent from the field and went 11-of-19 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Florida State guard Leticia Romero, third on the team with 11.2 points per game, has played all around the world, including multiple stints with the Spanish Women’s National Team.
The Flyers (25-8) were frigid from the field the entire game, finishing at 32 percent (18-for-56). Potts credits Tyrone Bailey, a former player at an Alabama community college whom he met during a pickup game at the local Boys & Girls Club, for working with him since ninth grade. “I think the tournament is a good measuring stick”, Boeheim said.
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And every time Michigan State made a run, Middle Tennessee answered, especially in the second half. It’s the Orange’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2013.
