THE MIDDLE Tennessee Lady Raiders stormed past the Charlotte 49ers in the NCAAW at Ford Center at the Star on Friday, with Savannah Wheeler delivering a standout offensive performance.

The 49ers came into the match looking to conjure quite an upset, given the fact that their opposition had lost four of their 29 games coming in. Instead, Charlotte was convincingly outclassed by Middle Tennessee, who won all four quarters and broke away in the second term. The Lady Raiders put their opponents to the sword and cruised home to a 31-point triumph.

No player had more of an offensive impact than Wheeler, who scored from all across the half court, proving a constant headache to the defence. The guard was at her high-production best against the 49ers, and her dominance reflected that of the team’s.

Charlotte 49ers (53) def. by Middle Tennessee Lady Raiders (84)

Savannah Wheeler – 28 points, six rebounds, three assists

Wheeler delivered one of the best performances of her collegiate career against the 49ers, using all of her strengths to put together an outstanding offensive outing.

No player from either side topped her points total of 28, which was 11 more than the next best scorer.

From the field, she was accurate enough, draining eight shots on 15 field goal attempts. She spread out her shot attempts across all three levels, making her a tough and unpredictable guard for the opposition.

From three-point territory, she nailed half of her shots from behind the arc, going 4/8 from this range. Threes made up over half of her attempts from the field, although the numbers do not tell the full story.

Wheeler was seriously aggressive in her attack on the paint at times, looking to push the tempo of the match. She attacked downhill in a big way, and fought for some tough baskets in the paint against the Charlotte interior defence.

Her willingness to absorb contact inside also resulted in plenty of trips to the free throw line. The defence was often caught on the back foot, fouling Wheeler in her shot attempts, and she made them pay from the charity stripe. She shot 80 per cent from the free throw line, nailing eight shots on 10 attempts.

It was a thumping win from the Lady Raiders, one that was sparked by the dominance of Wheeler. She simply did as she pleased out there, and looked an offensive force with ball in hand, which unraveled Charlotte in a big way.