GAME NOTES: The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks pay a visit to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders as part of the Emerald Coast Classic at the Murphy Center on Tuesday night.

NAU nearly pulled off a stunning upset on Sunday, but fell short in an 80-74 final against Ole Miss. The loss was the third in four tries for the Lumberjacks, who have lost all three road games this season, but did manage to post a 73-52 win over Fresno State in their home opener. Up next, they will face off with Southern.

It was that same Southern team that MTSU tangled with in its last outing. The Blue Raiders had great success in that game, running away with a 66-48 victory. They are now 2-1 overall, with a date against Cincinnati next on the docket.

Tuesday's matchup will be the first ever between these two programs.

There were seven ties and six lead changes between NAU and Ole Miss, but the Rebels had the last laugh. Still, the Lumberjacks remained competitive, despite shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor, while falling on the short end of a 42-27 deficit on the boards. What kept them hanging around was their performance from 3-point range, as they knocked down 13 triples compared to only two from the hosts. Quinton Upshur (19 points) and Jaleni Neely (17 points) each knocked down five 3-pointers.

The 74 points the Lumberjacks posted against Ole Miss was a season-high for a squad which is shooting just 37.3 percent from the floor through the first four games. At the other end of the floor, they are letting up a 49.3 percent success rate. Upshur (15.2 ppg) is the most consistent offensive threat for the team. Aaseem Dixon (11.2 ppg) is second on the team in scoring, but he has been erratic with his shot, making only 22.6 percent of his field goal tries. Neely (8.8 ppg, 3.8 apg) is shooting poorly as well (.364), but he does lead the team in assists and steals. Kris Yanku (10.2 ppg) is averaging in double figures, despite coming off the bench in all four games.

A dominant effort on the glass and at the defensive end in general pushed MTSU past Southern. The Blue Raiders held the Jaguars to 33.3 percent shooting, while holding a 40-28 edge on the glass. More importantly, they did not give the visitors many additional scoring opportunities, allowing only three offensive rebounds.

Tightening up on defense has helped MTSU as it attempts to find its identity on offense. The Blue Raiders are letting up only 58.7 points per game, making up for a 33.9 percent shooting effort from their own side. Reggie Upshaw (11 ppg, 6 rpg) and Marcus Tarrance (10.7 ppg) are the only two players scoring in double figures, while Jacquez Rozier (9.3 ppg) is the last man on the list of scorers putting in more than seven points per game. Tarrance had a solid game against Southern, hitting all five of his shots from the floor and finishing with 18 points.

Clearly MTSU will have to be on guard as NAU proved it can be a dangerous team even in a hostile environment. With that said, the Lumberjacks are still 0-3 on the road and that record isn't likely to improve any time soon.