Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Kortni Jones hit six threes and scored a game-high 23 points for Middle Tennessee, but it was six free throws in the final 40 seconds that proved to be the difference as the Blue Raiders held on for a 67-64 win over the Western Kentucky University women's basketball team Wednesday night at the Murphy Center.

WKU (6-17, 3-8 SBC East) trailed by as many as nine with 5:30 remaining, but refused to go away as a Chastity Gooch jumper sparked a 6-0, helping the Lady Toppers cut the deficit down to three with just over three minutes to play. After Icelyn Elie knocked down a layup to push the MTSU lead back to five, LaTeira Owens hit a jumper and Jasmine Johnson knocked down one of two at the free throw line to make it a 61-59 game with 1:34 remaining.

Both teams came up empty on their next possession, WKU forced a turnover and Chaney Means buried her fourth three of the game to give the Lady Toppers their first lead of the half, 62-61, with 55 seconds remaining. Ebony Rowe was fouled, and knocked down a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left to put the Blue Raiders (20-5, 12-0 SBC East) back in front by one. After a WKU shot rimmed off, Elie was fouled and hit one of two, but Laken Leonard grabbed an offensive rebound for MTSU and buried a pair of free throws to push the lead to 66-62 with 18 seconds remaining.

With just over five seconds left, Owens was fouled and hit two free throws to cut it to a two-point game. The Lady Toppers fouled Shanice Cason, who hit one of two at the line to stretch the lead to three. WKU called a timeout, and Danay Fothergill got a look at a 25-footer that rimmed off as the Blue Raiders held on for the victory.

"We obviously didn't close this one out with a win like we wanted, but we finally put two halves together and were in this game from start to finish," said Lady Topper head coach Mary Taylor Cowles. "When they went up nine late in the game, we could have ducked our heads, but instead we held in their and fought to the end. I'm extremely proud of our young ladies' effort tonight. Now we have to carry that over through our final five games of the regular season and into the tournament."

The two teams were back and forth for much of the first half, as there were four ties and six lead changes in the first 13 minutes of play. Neither team led by more than three points over that stretch. With MTSU leading 20-18, Fothergill got lose for a layup at the 6:53 mark, sparking a quick 7-0 Lady Topper run as Fothergill followed a Gooch layup with a three to give WKU a 25-20 lead with 5:49 left before intermission.

However, it was the Blue Raiders to made the last run of the half as Jones knocked down back-to-back threes to start 10-0 MTSU run as it opened up a 30-25 lead with 1:13 to go. Gooch got WKU back within three with a layup, but Elie got the final basket of the period right before the horn, sending Middle Tennessee to the locker room with a 32-27 lead.

WKU shot 42.3 percent from the field in the first half, while holding MTSU to just 35.1 percent shooting. However, the Blue Raiders knocked down five of 14 three-point attempts - including four from Jones. Five of Middle's 13 field goals in the half were from beyond the arc.

For the game, Owens led three Lady Toppers in double figures with 18 points, while adding a game-high 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year. Means added 12 points off the bench with her four threes, while Alexis Govan chipped in 11 points and dished out a team-high four assists. Jones led all scorers for MTSU with 23 points, while Elie added 20. Leonard tossed in 13 points, connecting on three three pointers.

Both teams finished the game shooting 38.3 percent from the floor, each connecting on 23 of 60 shots.