By: Jonathan Helwig
MTN Sports Reporter
The Lady Raiders advance to the championship game of the WNIT after a 73-71 win over Toledo.
MTSU’s freshman center Anastasiia Boldyreva dominated Toledo with a total of 27 points and 3 blocks controlling the paint all game long.
Along with Boldyreva, Courtney Whitson also had a big game for the Lady Raiders scoring 18 points while shooting 44% from three.
The duo combined for 45 of MTSU’s 73 points as they continue to the next round. Toledo managed to jump out and create the largest lead of the game (eight points) within the first four minutes, until Courtney Whitson hit a three-pointer that led MTSU to go on an 8- point run to tie the game.
After that point it was a neck-and-neck classic to the end. Head coach for MTSU Rick Insell told the media that this game is one of the best he has ever coached.
“This game will be looked at 10-20 years from now as one of the all-time classic games. Not sure if I will be alive in the next 20 years, but this game will go down as one of the best”.
Toledo’s Nan Garcia had two attempts at game winning shots but managed to miss both after some great defense by the Raiders.
One of the biggest factors for Toledo was the home court crowd. Insell acknowledged the home crowd post-game and had this to say.
“They brought out the commissioner for the MAC conference this game. They were all aboard this game and the fans really came out for them tonight”.
MTSU will now go on to face Seton Hall in the WNIT semifinals this Wednesday.