Marshall University Athletics
Late Herd Run Falls Short, FIU Wins 61-58
12/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Late Herd Run Falls Short, FIU Wins 61-58
12/18/2004
- Box Score
ORLANDO ? Florida International fended off a late Marshall run to upend the Thundering Herd women?s basketball team 61-58 on Saturday in day one of the UCF Christmas Classic.
FIU (7-2) enjoyed a 15-point lead with nine minutes remaining in the second half, but Marshall (3-4) battled back to get to within two. With 24 seconds on the clock, senior Kim Griffin (Valdosta, Ga.) nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Golden Panther lead to 60-58. Sophomore Crystal Champion (Washington, D.C.) recorded a foul to stop the clock with four ticks left to send FIU?s Faeza Bouderra to the free-throw line. After converting her first attempt, Bouderra missed the second to give MU a chance to tie. The Herd, however, failed to get off a shot in time, giving FIU its fifth straight win.
Five Golden Panthers, including four starters, reached double-digits paced by senior Milena Tomova?s game-high 16 points with eight rebounds. Sophomore center Lasma Jekabsone netted 14 points and added four blocks while Bouderra scored 11 points. Eva Makela and reserve LaQuetta Ferguson added 10 apiece.
FIU took a one-point lead into halftime after a back-and-fourth first half.
In the second, Marshall?s Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (Houston, Texas) tied the game at 32 when she grabbed a defensive board, took the ball into the offensive end and slashed to basket for a layup while being fouled. She converted the free throw to complete the three-point play.
FIU went on a 17-4 run over the next eight minutes after that point to break the game open.
Marshall charged back with a game-ending 20-10 run after being down 51-36, but the shooting drought in the middle of the half was too much to overcome. Missed layups plagued the Herd all afternoon. Marshall?s starting five went 8-for-34 from the floor. Griffin came off the bench to play 30 minutes and led the team with a career-high 15 points and was 7-for-9 shooting. Non-starter and sophomore Teyonka Hodge (Washington, D.C.) scored 13 points in 26 minutes and recorded three assists and three steals.
Marshall?s bench out-scored Florida International, 37-10.
The Herd will take on the Colgate Raiders (3-6) at 1 p.m. on Sunday. CU fell to the host UCF Golden Knights (3-5) 83-69 in the day?s first game. FIU and UCF will tangle following the MU-CU contest.
Sunday?s game can be heard live on WMUL 88-1-FM or on the web at www.marshall.edu/wmul.
