MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — JT Sulton scored 17 points as Middle Tennessee defeated Florida International 71-66 Thursday night in the teams’ Sun Belt Conference opener.
The victory by the Blue Raiders (12-2) was their fourth in a row and gave coach Kermit Davis the most wins in the history of the program. He has a 165-128 record in his 10th season at Middle Tennessee, surpassing Jimmy Earle’s 164 victories from the 1969-70 through 1978-79 seasons.
Sulton’s dunk with 13:43 remaining in the first half put Middle Tennessee ahead 11-9, and it never relinquished the lead, although it never led by more than 10 points.
The Golden Panthers (3-10) got within a point, 40-39, with 4:09 gone in the second half, but the Blue Raiders scored the next six points on free throws to lead by seven.
