Cage poured in 17 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer that gave the Lady Raiders a 69-68 lead with 1:24 remaining, and Boothe ignited Middle Tennessee's rally with a dominant offensive stretch at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth.
Middle Tennessee (13-6, 11-3) remained in first place in the East Division with a one-game lead over Charlotte with two games remaining.
This weekend marked the first game with fans for Middle Tennessee and the Lady Raider gave them an exciting finish Saturday. The loyal Lady Raider fans also gave their team a lift.
"Our fans were exactly what we needed," Lady Raider head coach Rick Insell said. "When we were coming back, they got behind us and gave us a big homecourt advantage. That is what we have been missing. When we took the lead, they got vocal. They gave us a huge lift. Our fans are the best and we appreciate them greatly."
Anastasia Hayes led Middle Tennessee with a strong all-around performance that included a game-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Aislynn Hayes was also outstanding with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Alexis Whittington added 11 points and six rebounds, and Courtney Whitson finished with six points and seven rebounds.
Middle Tennessee overcame a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit with 8:34 remaining to earn a split in the weekend series against the Lady Monarchs (8-10, 5-9).
Cage came up huge on her Senior Day. The graduate transfer scored seven of her 17 in the fourth quarter on 3-of-3 shooting from the field. No shot was bigger than her perfectly executed 3-pointer from the corner to give Middle Tennessee the lead for good with 1:24 remaining. Aislynn Hayes received the ball at the top of the key, penetrated, drew a double team, and then made a precision pass to Cage in the corner.
"That was a clutch shot with the game on the line and Deja delivered," Insell said. "That's what competitors do. That is what winners do. Deja is both a competitor and a winner. I thought Aislynn also did a great job of execution on that play and running our basketball team throughout."
Middle Tennessee came away with a stop on the defensive end, then Alexis Whittington provided the dagger with a 3-pointer from the opposite corner of Cage's knock down with 29 seconds remaining to push the Lady Raider advantage to 72-68.
None of it would have been possible without the contributions of Boothe, who also was honored as part of Senior Day festivities. Although a junior, Boothe will be graduating in May and will not return for the 2021-22 season.
Middle Tennessee faced its largest deficit, 53-44, when Boothe entered the game with 1:47 remaining in the third quarter. The forward scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting during a five-minute stretch to ignite the Lady Raider rally, pulling the Lady Raiders to within four and getting the crowd back in the game.
"We didn't have anything going our way and Rellah came off the bench and ignited a spark," Insell said. "I can't tell you how proud of her I am. She had an emotional Senior Day. This meant something to her and when she got the chance, she showed what it meant. She wasn't going to be denied."
The Lady Raiders close out the regular season with home games against Marshall Thursday and Friday. Tip time for both games is 6 p.m.
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February 28, 2021 at 08:50AM
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Cage, Boothe come up clutch in Senior Day win vs. ODU - GoBlueRaiders.com
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