Marshall University Athletics
Herd Women and Kent State to Collide in MAC Quarterfinals
3/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Herd Women and Kent State to Collide in MAC Quarterfinals
3/9/2004
CLEVELAND -- The Marshall women's basketball team will attempt to enter unchartered territory, the Kraft Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals, when the No. 6 Thundering Herd faces the No. 3 Kent State Golden Flashes on Wednesday in the final quarterfinal game of the day at Gund Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Toledo-Eastern Michigan game.
Marshall (17-11, 8-8 MAC) and Kent State (19-8, 12-4 MAC) split the regular season series with both teams winning on their respective home floors. MU won the first meeting (56-51 on Jan. 7) to net the Herd's first ever two-game win streak over the Golden Flashes, but KSU put a quick end to that stretch with a victory in game No. 2 (64-50 on Feb. 16).
The Herd won their first round game over the No. 11 Buffalo Bulls on Saturday by 24-points, 69-45, at the Cam Henderson Center. The contest marked the first women's MAC postseason game to be held on Marshall's home floor. KSU received a bye to the quarterfinals despite not winning the East Division for the first time since Marshall joined the MAC in 1997-98.
Marshall is 2-4 (.333) lifetime in the Kraft MAC Tournament while Kent State is 26-13 (.667).
"I think it will be a close and competitive game," Marshall senior Catie Knable (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) said. "We're going to have to go out and work harder than them to get a win."
Knable is the MAC leader in double-doubles this season with 10. She is the league's third-leading rebounder with 9.3 rebounds per game and became Marshall's second most prolific rebounder ever on Saturday, surpassing Karen Pelphrey with 893 career boards.
Marshall advanced this far in the tournament with eight newcomers to the squad, many of which are freshmen, including Huntington, W.Va., product KaShawna Curry. The 6-foot-1 forward has produced three consecutive two-block games and is excited to be playing basketball in March.
"It's a big privilege (to play in the MAC Tournament at Cleveland)," Curry said. "A lot of people are underestimating this team. I think we have a good chance to win this tournament. We'll have to come out with a lot of enthusiasm and keep playing tough, five-man defense to be able to put it all together."
Kent State and Marshall rank No. 2 and 3 in the MAC in scoring defense (60.7 and 61.0 ppg allowed, respectively). The team point production from the two squad's is also very similar, with KSU putting up 67.5 points per game (6th in MAC) to the Herd's 65.9 output (7th in MAC).
KSU leads the all-time series, 14-4, and the two schools have never before met in the Kraft MAC Tournament.
