HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) -- Middle Tennessee returned to the court Sunday for the first time since the stabbing death of teammate Tina Stewart, losing 77-62 to Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals.
With reminders of Stewart all around, the Blue Raiders sat on the bench, heads down and arms locked during a pregame moment of silence. Stewart's home uniform was draped over an empty chair on the sideline, and her blue No. 20 road uniform hung in the team's locker room.
Middle Tennessee was clearly off when the game started, making just five of its first 22 shots. The fourth-seeded Red Wolves (18-13) opened on a 15-5 run and never trailed.
The Blue Raiders rallied to tie it at 37, but Arkansas State eventually pulled away.
Stewart, 21, of Memphis, was stabbed to death Wednesday night and her 18-year-old roommate, Shanterrica Madden, has been charged with first-degree murder.
The top-seeded Blue Raiders (23-7) agonized over whether to play in the conference tourney but finally decided Stewart would want them to compete.
They took the court for warmups in black T-shirts with "20gether" on the front and "Stewart" on the back of each. They also each wore purple hair ribbons because that was Stewart's favorite color.
Middle Tennessee fans, including former players, offered their support throughout. The men's team, including Stewart's boyfriend K.C. Anuna, sat together under one of the baskets ahead of their tournament game against Florida International on Sunday night.
The Blue Raiders' home uniforms included a black patch near the left shoulder with No. 20 in white lettering, and Arkansas State coach Brian Boyer sported a black ribbon on his jacket during the game.
Shania Hurst scored 21 points for Arkansas State, which grabbed control for good with an 11-2 run in the second half.
Ebony Rowe had 19 points for Middle Tennessee, which had planned to return home if it lost Saturday's game. However, with the school out for spring break, school officials elected to stay at the tournament for an extra night so the Blue Raiders could watch the men's team play in the quarterfinals.
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