The Marshall Thundering Herd were a team that was touted by some as potentially worthy of consideration for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, but they were unable to get out of the first round of the NIT. The Sun Belt Conference regular season champions, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, were excellent offensively in their NIT opener and rode their great shooting performance to an 86-78 win.
NIT Tournament 2012, Middle Tennessee Vs. Marshall: Blue Raiders Prevail, 86-78
Middle Tennessee had 22 assists to just nine turnovers, while Marshall had just eight assists and turned the ball over 13 times. LaRon Dendy was MTSU's top performer, scoring a team high 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Bruce Massey also had an excellent game with seven points, seven assists, nine rebounds and just one turnover.
The Blue Raiders move on to face the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the tournament.
For more on the NIT, be sure to check out our NCAA basketball hub. Also be sure to check out our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub for more on the Big Dance.
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