Marshall
Nov 22, 2007 10:22:41 GMT -5
Post by Class of '83 on Nov 22, 2007 10:22:41 GMT -5
Herd Men Rally for 84-83 OT Win Over East Tennessee State
Nov. 20, 2007
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - After trailing for more than 31 minutes, Marshall University junior guard Darryl Merthie (Lake Mary, Fla.) tied the game on a finger roll layup with five seconds left in regulation before Marshall took its first lead of the contest 21 seconds into overtime as the Thundering Herd men's basketball team battled back for an 84-83 overtime win over Atlantic Sun favorite East Tennessee State on Tuesday at the Cam Henderson Center.
Merthie, who dished out a career-high 10 assists, scored all seven of his points in the second half to lead the Herd back from its biggest deficit of the game, 12 points, while giving head coach Donnie Jones a 2-0 start in his inaugural coaching campaign. It is the first 2-0 start by a MU team since 2002-03 and its third straight home win, dating back to last season, along with victories in six of its last seven home outings.
Marshall trailed for virtually the entire game until Merthie's last second heroics in regulation. Marshall, trailing 61-49 with 11:11 left in the second half, ended regulation on a 28-16 run.
"The play was for him [Markel Humphrey]," Merthie said of his game-tying layup. "My man overplayed me and I just went by him and I had a wide open lane, and I went for a finger roll and it went in."
The Herd's first lead of the game came via a Tirrell Baines (Laurens, S.C.) jumper in overtime. The teams traded points until East Tennessee State (1-2) tied and took the lead on a pair of Kevin Tiggs free throws. Marshall senior Mark Dorris (Cincinnati, Ohio) matched Tiggs' free throws, before the Buccaneer junior forward sank two more for a one-point ETSU lead with 54 seconds left. Herd junior Markel Humphrey (Atlanta, Ga.) scored the game's final points on a jumper with 44 ticks on the clock and the Marshall defense held up to preserve the one-point victory.
ETSU had a chance to win at the end of overtime, following a Marshall turnover with three seconds left, but Courtney Pigram's 3-point attempt was off the mark. "It looked good to me," Pigram, the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year, said. "I know I didn't make one all game, but I thought it was pretty good but unfortunately it fell short."
Humphrey finished with 15 points thanks to his 9-for-14 effort from the free-throw line. Dorris netted 17 points with five steals.
Herd sophomore forward Tyler Wilkerson (Lexington, Ky.) had arguably the game of his career, scoring a team- and career-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He also went a career-best 6-of-8 from the free-throw line with seven rebounds in only his second career start.
"In the locker room going over the scouting report, we knew we just had to pound the ball inside," Wilkerson said, "and I have to thank my guards that got me the ball. Tonight my shot was just falling."
Pigram, whose 13 points left him just two shy of 1,000 for his career, went 6-for-17 from the floor and was 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
Marshall fell behind the Buccaneers from the game's outset and managed to tie the game at 18-18 before ETSU again regained command. The Herd scrapped its way to within four points at halftime, 40-36, after trailing by as many as 12 points with four minutes left in the first stanza.
"I thought we did a lot of things well," ETSU head coach Murry Bartow said. "We just didn't do enough good things to win. We had way too many turnovers and they were phenomenal on the offensive glass and that really hurt us."
Herd freshman Matt Walls (Georgetown, Ky.) scored nine points, all in the first half, while fellow freshman Baines netted 14 points with five rebounds.
Tiggs led ETSU with 26 points, one of five Buccaneers in double figures to lead all scorers. His game-high eight rebounds were matched by teammate Mike Smith. Smith and forward Andrew Reed both fouled out late in the second half.
Jones was pleased with his team's effort. "What a great game," he said. "It's like the old games of the Southern Conference rivalry. It was a great atmosphere tonight.
"First I want commend this team for them to come out and never quit with several opportunities that could have gotten away from us. It is the end result that matters, we talk about that all the time. I think the biggest thing tonight was team effort."
The Herd will look to stay on the winning track when it takes on Boston University on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Henderson Center.
herdzone.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/112007aaa.html
Nov. 20, 2007
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - After trailing for more than 31 minutes, Marshall University junior guard Darryl Merthie (Lake Mary, Fla.) tied the game on a finger roll layup with five seconds left in regulation before Marshall took its first lead of the contest 21 seconds into overtime as the Thundering Herd men's basketball team battled back for an 84-83 overtime win over Atlantic Sun favorite East Tennessee State on Tuesday at the Cam Henderson Center.
Merthie, who dished out a career-high 10 assists, scored all seven of his points in the second half to lead the Herd back from its biggest deficit of the game, 12 points, while giving head coach Donnie Jones a 2-0 start in his inaugural coaching campaign. It is the first 2-0 start by a MU team since 2002-03 and its third straight home win, dating back to last season, along with victories in six of its last seven home outings.
Marshall trailed for virtually the entire game until Merthie's last second heroics in regulation. Marshall, trailing 61-49 with 11:11 left in the second half, ended regulation on a 28-16 run.
"The play was for him [Markel Humphrey]," Merthie said of his game-tying layup. "My man overplayed me and I just went by him and I had a wide open lane, and I went for a finger roll and it went in."
The Herd's first lead of the game came via a Tirrell Baines (Laurens, S.C.) jumper in overtime. The teams traded points until East Tennessee State (1-2) tied and took the lead on a pair of Kevin Tiggs free throws. Marshall senior Mark Dorris (Cincinnati, Ohio) matched Tiggs' free throws, before the Buccaneer junior forward sank two more for a one-point ETSU lead with 54 seconds left. Herd junior Markel Humphrey (Atlanta, Ga.) scored the game's final points on a jumper with 44 ticks on the clock and the Marshall defense held up to preserve the one-point victory.
ETSU had a chance to win at the end of overtime, following a Marshall turnover with three seconds left, but Courtney Pigram's 3-point attempt was off the mark. "It looked good to me," Pigram, the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year, said. "I know I didn't make one all game, but I thought it was pretty good but unfortunately it fell short."
Humphrey finished with 15 points thanks to his 9-for-14 effort from the free-throw line. Dorris netted 17 points with five steals.
Herd sophomore forward Tyler Wilkerson (Lexington, Ky.) had arguably the game of his career, scoring a team- and career-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He also went a career-best 6-of-8 from the free-throw line with seven rebounds in only his second career start.
"In the locker room going over the scouting report, we knew we just had to pound the ball inside," Wilkerson said, "and I have to thank my guards that got me the ball. Tonight my shot was just falling."
Pigram, whose 13 points left him just two shy of 1,000 for his career, went 6-for-17 from the floor and was 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
Marshall fell behind the Buccaneers from the game's outset and managed to tie the game at 18-18 before ETSU again regained command. The Herd scrapped its way to within four points at halftime, 40-36, after trailing by as many as 12 points with four minutes left in the first stanza.
"I thought we did a lot of things well," ETSU head coach Murry Bartow said. "We just didn't do enough good things to win. We had way too many turnovers and they were phenomenal on the offensive glass and that really hurt us."
Herd freshman Matt Walls (Georgetown, Ky.) scored nine points, all in the first half, while fellow freshman Baines netted 14 points with five rebounds.
Tiggs led ETSU with 26 points, one of five Buccaneers in double figures to lead all scorers. His game-high eight rebounds were matched by teammate Mike Smith. Smith and forward Andrew Reed both fouled out late in the second half.
Jones was pleased with his team's effort. "What a great game," he said. "It's like the old games of the Southern Conference rivalry. It was a great atmosphere tonight.
"First I want commend this team for them to come out and never quit with several opportunities that could have gotten away from us. It is the end result that matters, we talk about that all the time. I think the biggest thing tonight was team effort."
The Herd will look to stay on the winning track when it takes on Boston University on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Henderson Center.
herdzone.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/112007aaa.html