Marshall Recap
By Ben Anderson, FM88 Sports
Dec. 22, 2024
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WMUL-FM) — The Marshall Thundering Herd ended non-conference play with a commanding 77-38 victory Saturday against the Davis & Elkins Senators at the Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall struggled early on, starting the game 0-6 from the field. The Herd fired its first ten shots from behind the arc, only converting two attempts.
Defensively, Marshall started the game forcing six turnovers and going on an 8-0 scoring run concluding with a 3-pointer from CC Mays with six minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
At half time, Marshall led Davis & Elkins 42-20 and continued to dominate in the second half as the Herd only allowed two field goals in a span of 14:28. The run expanded from a 34-18 score with 4:18 left in the second quarter to 65-22 in the third. It was the first time that Marshall held a team to two points in a quarter since allowing two points in the first quarter against Alderson Broaddus on Nov. 27, 2019.
“It doesn’t matter who’s on the floor right now.” Marshall head coach Juli Fulks said during her postgame news conference. “We’ve had enough time with the defenses that we run that you know they’re all really good athletes who can understand what we’re doing and when you start to understand how it works as a collective it really shouldn’t matter really who’s out there.”
In the third quarter, Marshall went on the biggest scoring run of the season at 20-0, leading by as much as 43.
All of Marshall’s 13 dressed players saw action on the floor. 11 players scored including Meredith Maier with 13 points.
“It’s great that the people coming off the bench are finding confidence in themselves,” junior guard CC Mays said during the postgame news conference. “We have confidence in them so it’s about making everyone comfortable on the floor and in their position and building from that.”
The Herd’s defense forced 24 turnovers, the most forced in a game this season and resulting 34 points off turnovers.
Marshall outrebounded Davis & Elkins 57-35.
The 34 points allowed by the Thundering were the fewest a Marshall team has allowed since allowing 29 against Bluefield State College on Nov. 20, 2018.
Marshall improved to 5-0 against Davis & Elkins and 68-18 against all-time members of the Mountain East Conference.
With the win, Marshall closed out non-conference, before welcoming Texas State to the Cam Henderson Center on Dec. 29, 2024 to start Sun Belt Conference play.
“I’m excited, we’re looking to make a push.” Mays said “Obviously try to repeat what we did last year. It’s a completely different team though so it would be the same way, but we still have the talent to get it done.”