GAME NOTES: Having lost eight straight games since a Nov. 20 contest, the Tennessee State Tigers will travel to face their in-state rival Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a non-conference bout at Murphy Center Sunday.

Tennessee State is coming off a dismal 2013-14 season, and then an offseason where the team lost its only dangerous threat offensively in Patrick Miller. The 2-9 Tigers have lost eight straight, including a 66-54 defeat against Hampton on Friday.

Middle Tennessee is 6-5 on the early season, with three wins in the team's last four games played. The Blue Raiders are coming off a 68-58 victory over Chattanooga on Friday that boosted their record back above .500.

Middle Tennessee owns a commanding 36-16 all-time series lead over Tennessee State. The two programs met last season in Nashville, which saw the Blue Raiders come away with a 74-66 victory.

Tennessee State could have easily gotten things back on track with a win over Hampton in the team's last outing, but the Tigers couldn't take advantage of a poor offensive effort by the Pirates on Friday. Hampton shot just 34.3 percent from the floor, and went 0-of-10 from 3-point range in the second half, but still pulled out the 12-point victory. Jay Harris netted 16 points to lead the team, which shot just 34.7 percent from the floor and 3-of-10 from 3-point distance.

Harris leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 ppg on 41.6 percent shooting, including 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Marcus Roper is the only other player for Tennessee State to net a double-digit point average coming into Sunday's clash, carrying an 11.1 ppg mark. Tennessee State's offensive woes have been well documented, as the Tigers are averaging just 60.9 ppg this season. The defense hasn't done much in the way of helping out, allowing 69.3 ppg to opponents, who are shooting 41.6 percent from the field against the Tigers. Demontez Loman and Xavier Richards each grab 5.5 rpg to lead the team.

Middle Tennessee used a strong offensive showing against Chattanooga to down the Mocs by 10 points in the Blue Raiders' latest outing. The Raiders made sure to keep it close at all times, as the Mocs held just a two-point lead with over 12 minutes to play in the first half, which was as large as Chattanooga's lead got. Giddy Potts scored 16 points to pace Middle Tennessee, adding in a team-best seven rebounds in the win. Reggie Upshaw chipped in with 11 points, and Darnell Harris added 10 in 21 minutes of action.

No player for Middle Tennessee enters the game against Tennessee State averaging a scoring total in double figures, though Upshaw (9.5 ppg) and Jacquez Rozier (9.4 ppg) are both close. It's ultimately not surprising, considering the team comes into Sunday with a 59.6 ppg average this season on 39 percent shooting. Still, the Raiders have earned a 6-5 record by allowing opponents to score just 61.1 ppg. Upshaw also leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 boards per outing.

Neither team in this contest is very adept at scoring, though Middle Tennessee's defense is certainly better at containing opponents, hence the better record for the Blue Raiders. Tennessee State has a long, long way to go to get back into Ohio Valley Conference contention, and it won't start with this road game for the Tigers.