Marshall University Athletics
Herd and 'Hawks to Meet in East Division Clash
1/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Herd and 'Hawks to Meet in East Division Clash
1/26/2004
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall's women's basketball team returns home after three consecutive games away from the Cam Henderson Center to face Mid-American Conference East Division-leading Miami (Ohio) for a crucial 7 p.m. showdown on Tuesday.
Marshall (11-6, 3-3 MAC) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday by posting a 17-point win at Central Michigan. Sophomore guard Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (Houston, Texas) returned to form by hitting a career-high 10 field goals for a team season-high 24 points.
The Herd's win over CMU gave Marshall its best ever six-game start in MAC play since joining the league for the 1997-98 season.
That initial season of MAC competition was the last time that Marshall defeated Miami. The RedHawks (10-6, 4-1 MAC) have won 12 straight over the Herd, the longest current winning streak by a Marshall league opponent. Miami leads the all-time series, 13-2.
Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa is one of only four coaches in the nation to have the luxury of sending out five players who average double-digits in scoring. Colleen Day, one of three preseason MAC East selections in this game, paces Miami with 15.0 points per game (3rd in the MAC).
Last year's MAC Sixth Man of the Year Kim Lancaster has scored 20 points in each of Miami's last two games.
Shepard-Hall and senior Catie Knable (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) are the other two preseason East Division picks. Knable tallied her second straight double-double on Saturday, recording 13 points and 10 boards against the Chippewas.
Knable has a MAC-high eight double-doubles this season and is just six rebounds shy of tying Tammy Wiggins (1983-87) in third place on the Herd's all-time rebound list with 809 career boards.
Tuesday's contest can be heard live on 88.1 WMUL-FM or on the internet at www.marshall.edu/wmul.
