Marshall Preview
By Ben Westfall, FM88 Sports
Feb. 5, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WMUL-FM) – Marshall ends a 3-game homestand looking to take down the top team in the Sun Belt Conference in Arkansas State.
Marshall comes in with an overall record of 14-10, and a conference record of 7-4. Arkansas State enters the contest with an overall record of 18-5, 9-2 in conference play and winners of seven straight.
The Herd is coming off a close home win over Coastal Carolina 67-62. Marshall only led at halftime by one point, 30-29, thanks to a last second Erich Harding dunk.
Marshall had a good day from the field shooting, going 41% overall, and 50% in the second half. Three-point shooting was not in the Herd’s favor, as the Herd went 23% overall, going just 4-for-17.
Marshall had three players score double figures against the Chanticleers, leading the way was Dezayne Mingo with 18 points. Mikal Dawson was second with 15 points, followed by Obinna Anochili-Killen with 14.
The game was tied-up with a minute left to go, and Marshall would score five more to get the win. The Herd ended the final 1:34 on a 6-0 run.
Arkansas State comes into Huntington winners of seven in a row, most recently off a victory at Texas State 85-74 this past Saturday.
The Red Wolves were led by three individual performances, highlighted by Izaiyah Nelson with 23 points, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the field. Terrance Ford Jr. had 20 points in the contest along with Kobe Julien, who had 19 points.
It was a strong performance shooting the ball for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves shot 57% from the field against Texas State and an impressive 61% from three-point land, going 8-for-13.
The Red Wolves are led by star studded talent throughout the roster, having three players who earned preseason Sun Belt honors. Kobe Julien earned first-team all-Sun Belt while also being recognized as the preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year. The leading scorer for Arkansas State this year is Taryn Todd, who averages 15.8 points per game. Todd earned second-team preseason all-Sun Belt.
Marshall is led by the star senior Obinna Anochili-Killen, who averages 13.5 points per game, and is second in the country in total blocks with 61. Mikal Dawson continues to shine, averaging 13.1 points per game. Dezayne Mingo and Jalen Speer also average double digit scoring on the season.
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center with live coverage on WMUL-FM 88.1 and online at www.marshall.edu/WMUL. Pregame coverage begins at 8:30 p.m.