Marshall University Athletics
Herd Women Fight Past Texas A&M, 61-56
12/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Herd Women Fight Past Texas A&M, 61-56
12/21/2003
- Box Score
COLLEGE STATION, Texas ? Marshall overcame a 32-18 foul differential to snap Texas A&M?s five-game win streak by a 61-56 final score in front of 1,400 fans at Reed Arena on Sunday to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Marshall led by as many as 10 points in the second half, thanks in part to its dominance on the glass, out-rebounding the Big 12 school 48-27. Senior Catie Knable (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) posted her fifth straight double-digit rebound game with a game-high 13 boards to go along with six points, one assist and one block.
Marshall?s Kim Griffin (Valdosta, Ga.) scored nine second-half points, none bigger than her four straight points with under three minutes remaining to give the Thundering Herd an eight-point cushion after the Aggies (6-3) crept to within four. The junior guard took a Teyonka Hodge (Washington, D.C.) pass in transition for a fast break layup, then stole the ball at midcourt from A&M?s Jana Derrick for another quick bucket to give MU a 56-48 lead.
Griffin finished with 13 points, four assists and three steals.
The Aggies missed more free throws than the Herd made, shooting 61.5 percent from the charity stripe (24-of-39), while Marshall was 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the line.
Sophomore Mary Pat Statler (New Cumberland, W.Va.) came off the bench to score 10 second-half points, six of which were via the three-point shot. Statler was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, including two clutch free throws with nine seconds remaining to give Marshall its five-point decisive advantage.
?I?m very proud of this team, they overcame a lot tonight,? Marshall head coach Royce Chadwick said. ?We?re a little ahead of where we should be right now, but it?s because our kids are so talented.?
Chadwick continues to utilize his young players, starting freshmen Hodge and KaShawna Curry (Huntington, W.Va.) in all eight of Marshall?s games thus far. Hodge scored seven points with two assists and two steals, while Curry netted four points with a block and a steal. Sophomore Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (Houston, Texas) returned to her home state to record six points and four assists.
Texas A&M was without the services of second team all-Big 12 guard Toccara Williams, who was nursing an ankle injury suffered early in the Aggies? last game versus Louisiana-Monroe.
?We had an opportune chance (with Williams out) to step up and make something happen,? Chadwick said. ?They (Texas A&M) will be a formidable opponent in the Big 12 during his (Gary Blair) tenure here.?
A&M head coach Gary Blair, in his first season with the Aggies, is a familiar face for Chadwick, as the two former Stephen F. Austin coaches squared off against one another on Sunday.
Lynn Classen led the Aggies in scoring with a game-high 16 points, coupled with Derrick?s 12 points.
Marshall notched its second ever win over a Big 12 school and will continue its first road swing of the season by playing in Lehigh?s Christmas City Classic on Dec. 30-31. The Herd will open up the tournament with the host Mountain Hawks and will face either Ole Miss or Mt. St. Mary?s in the consolation/championship game on New Year?s Eve.