Coming off the heels of a tough loss at home, Middle Tennessee looked to rally and get back in the win column as they ventured to South Carolina to take on the talented Ohio Bobcats as part of the Myrtle Beach Invitational tournament.

Despite some ups and downs, the Blue Raiders pulled out the 83-81 overtime win to advance to the semifinals. There were many contributing factors to the win, but none can be stated without first mentioning Essam Mostafa, the monstrous big man from Egypt.

Mostafa contributed 19 points on six-of-nine shooting along with 13 rebounds, allowing for his third double-double in five outings this season. The big man continues to be the post presence the Raiders needed, now shooting 66% and averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds this season.

The bulk of the scoring, however, came from guard Jestin Porter. Donning a protective mask once again, he posted a season-high 24 points on nine of 18 shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists. He had a strong showing from beyond the arch, drilling three of his six shots from deep and scoring when it mattered most. The senior guard continues to take steps forward this season, looking to live up to his preseason all-conference recognition.

Of course, the cherry on top of the day was wing Kamari Lands' late shot to force overtime. Simply looking at the stat sheet, the junior was not overly productive, posting 10 points on just 33% shooting with four assists and two rebounds. However, his box score stats do not tell the whole story.

With just 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Lands drained one from beyond the arc to tie the game at 75, eventually bringing the game to overtime. The Blue Raiders would eventually outscore the Bobcats 8-6 in overtime to seal up the win and advance.

"I thought we were tough, particularly in the right way and in the right moments,” said head coach Nick McDevitt, “We were behind for most of the game, and I just didn't think we showed panic, even when we were down five, six, seven points at times. Late in the game, we were down three with plenty of time to get multiple possessions, we didn't settle for bad threes which all of the sudden would end the game.

With the win, the Blue Raiders now advance to the semifinals of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. They will face the South Florida Bulls on Friday, November 22nd, with tip-off beginning at 1 p.m. live from Conway, SC.