Marshall University Athletics
Blackshear Lifts Marshall Past Bowling Green, 56-54
2/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Blackshear Lifts Marshall Past Bowling Green, 56-54
2/8/2003
- Box Score
Ronald Blackshear scored 22 points in the win over Bowling Green. The junior averaged 30 points per game in three games this week. |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Ronald Blackshear connected on a runner in the lane with only 22 seconds to go to lift Marshall University to a 56-54 win over Bowling Green in Mid-American Conference basketball action Saturday.
"My outside shots were not falling, so I just went to the basket and it worked out," Blackshear said.
Blackshear's shot in the lane gave the Herd its only lead of the second half and proved to be the game winner after a strong Marshall defensive stand kept Bowling Green from scoring in the closing seconds.
Blackshear finished with a game-high 22 points. The junior also hit two clutch free throws at the 1:26 mark to knot the score at 54.
BGSU led by as much as eight points in the second half.
Marshall improves to 10-10 overall and 6-6 in the MAC, while Bowling Green falls to 10-10 and 6-6. The victory also ended a four-game losing streak for the Thundering Herd.
"Its been a while," Blackshear said. "It feels good to get that bad taste out of our mouths."
Bowling Green entered the locker room at the half with a 34-32 lead, thanks to a solid 54.5% shooting percentage (12-22) and Marshall kept it close due to a strong 46.2% effort (6-13) from three-point range, however the second half found both teams struggling from the field.
Marshall shot only 24.1% from the field in the second half (7-29) and BGSU shot only 25% (5-20). Those numbers, coupled with 27 second-half fouls made for a long half for both squads.
"We buckled down on defense," Marshall's Monty Wright said. "Every night your shots are not going to go and you have to fight through it."
Wright, a senior from Oak Hill, scored 13 points in the winning effort, 11 coming in the second half.
Marshall's Marvin Black led all rebounders with 13 rebounds. The junior also contributed nine points.
Bowling Green Was led by Ron Lewis' 18 points. Junior center Kevin Netter added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Falcons.
The game marked the first time in the Greg White era that Marshall has won a game scoring under 58 points. It also marked the first time this season that Bowling Green has lost a game where they have held their opponent to under 59 points.
Marshall will host MAC East Division rival Akron Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Cam Henderson Center.
