Marshall University Athletics
Troy State Spoils Herd Home Opener
11/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Troy State Spoils Herd Home Opener
11/23/2001
- Box Score
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. ? Not many teams come to Marshall and come away with a win. The Thundering Herd had won 25 straight non-conference games at home, and had never lost a non-conference home game under head coach Greg White. However, those two streaks came to end Friday night as the Troy State (1-1) men?s basketball team upset the Herd, 77-72, sending Marshall to its first 0-3 start since 1969.
?This was a really great win over a very good program,? said Troy State head coach Don Maestri. ?This was an important win because you can?t gain confidence without a win, no matter how well you play. We hit some big shots down the stretch and we played with a lot of confidence.?
Down two points with three minutes remaining, TSU?s Lamayn Wilson tied the game at 66 on jump shot in the lane and was fouled on the play. After missing the free throw, the Trojans got a defensive stop and Lacedrick Pettway hit one of two free throws to give TSU a 67-66 lead, with just over two minutes remaining.
The rest of the game would be roller coaster. Marshall answered the Trojans rally with a three pointer by freshman Ronny Dawn to go ahead 69-67. Wilson answered back with a three pointer of his own to put Troy State back on top 70-69.
Marshall?s All-America candidate Tamar Slay would come back and hit a three to give the Herd a 72-70 lead.
The Trojans remained undaunted, scoring the last eight points of the game. Robert Rushing answered Slay?s shot with a three of his own from the corner to put TSU back on top for good, 73-72.
The Herd would go 0-for-4 from three-point land in the last 30 seconds, as the Trojans would go 4-of-6 from the free throw line to pull out a 77-72 win.
?We didn?t make the plays we needed to tonight,? said Marshall senior J.R. VanHoose. ?We are going to bounce back...we are still 0-0 in MAC play. Next week we have to come out and play like we are capable of playing.?
After a three point basket by Ben Fletcher to open the game, Marshall would go on a 11-0 run to take an 11-3 lead with just under 17 minutes to go in the first half.
Troy State would battle back cutting the lead to one, 38-37, on a basket by Rob Lewin with just over a minute left in the half. Dawn hit a three pointer from just across midcourt to put Marshall on top 41-37 at the half.
The Herd opened up the second half pounding the ball inside to J.R. VanHoose, whose inside play forced two quick fouls on Wilson which forced him to the bench for the next 15 mintues.
Lewin and Craig combined for 11 points in the second half while Wilson was on the bench. When Wilson returned he took over the game again.
Wilson scored six of his 16 points in the last four minutes of the game, helping the Trojans erase a four point deficit. Rushing lead the Trojans with 24 points. Wilson added 16 points with Fletcher scoring 14, all in the first half.
Slay led all scorers with 25 points. Dawn added 17, hitting five three pointers.
Marshall will attempt to rebound when it hosts Shepherd College Monday at 7:30 p.m.