Marshall University Athletics
MU Women Fight By NIU, 71-58
1/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MU Women Fight By NIU, 71-58
1/15/2005
- Box Score
DEKALB, Ill. ? Marshall tallied its first Mid-American Conference win of the season while handing Northern Illinois its first league loss with a 71-58 victory in women?s basketball action Saturday at the Convocation Center.
Marshall (7-7, 1-2 MAC) received a 20-point effort from junior Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (Houston, Texas). The guard went 7-of-14 from the floor and was 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Crystal Champion (Washington, D.C.) pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, her third straight double-digit rebound game.
The Herd outscored Northern Illinois (5-9, 2-1 MAC) 44-24 in the second half, aided by a 59.3 percent shooting effort in the second stanza. For the game, MU shot 50.9 percent to NIU?s 45.8 percent.
The first half ended with the Huskies up 34-27. Each team?s defense did little to slow down the opposing offenses in the first 10 minutes of the half, but the game tightened up in the half?s remaining minutes.
NIU was red hot from the field in the first half, sinking 55.6 percent of its shots. Keishonda Williamson, who entered the game averaging only 3.5 points entering Saturday, led all NIU scorers in the half with nine points. Stephanie Raymond dished out five assists with eight points while playing all 20 minutes.
Raymond and Williamson led all NIU scorers with 14 points apiece.
The Herd?s Kim Griffin (Valdosta, Ga.) tied a career-high with 15 points. Teyonka Hodge (Washington, D.C.) dished out seven assists to go along with three steals.
MU?s win was its third straight over NIU and first regular season victory over the Huskies in DeKalb.
Marshall will be back at the Cam Henderson Center for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday versus Ohio. The Bobcats (7-8, 3-1 MAC) have won two straight after defeating Central Michigan, 71-70, on Saturday.
