Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Men Down Coaches Vs. Cancer, 77-76
11/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Marshall Men Down Coaches Vs. Cancer, 77-76
11/8/2003
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch by the Thundering Herd held off a feisty Coaches Vs. Cancer squad, 77-76, in men's basketball action Saturday evening at the Cam Henderson Center. David Anderson (Levittown, Puerto Rico) and Marvin Black (Cleveland, Ohio) paced Marshall with 16 points apiece.
Marshall held an eight point lead with just under ten minutes to play in regulation and led by six at the halftime break, 44-38. However, the Coaches Vs. Cancer team pieced together an 11-0 run, and with 4:33 to play, two Greedy Daniels free throws put the visitors up, 67-66. Marshall regained the lead at 68-67 a minute later on two Mark Patton (Barboursville, W.Va.) free throws, and remained on top until the 45-second mark, when Mike Campbell powered his way to the bucket to give C vs. C a 76-75 advantage. The Herd countered with a strong move of their own by Black, and with 21 seconds to go, he knocked down two free throws to give Marshall the winning margin of one point at 77-76. Coaches Vs. Cancer had two final chances, but Chris Crosby and Andy Toole could not convert the opportunities for the visitors.
"We had two goals tonight. One was to win, and the other was to play hard on every possesion," first-year head coach Ron Jirsa said. "We accomplished those goals, and I'm proud of our kids for that. We made some clutch free throws down the stretch and really hit the glass hard to come away with the win."
The Herd were led by Black and Anderson, as well as freshman guard Tre Whitted, who added 11 points. The 6'3 Wilmington, N.C., native also showed some aggresiveness in the lane and on the boards, pulling down a team-high seven rebounds. Patton also contributed with nine points, six rebounds, and a career-high five blocked shots.
Marshall plays their second and final exhibition next Saturday in the Henderson Center against the G.T. Express. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.