Marshall University Athletics
No. 19 Glenville State to Challenge Herd Women on Saturday
11/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2005
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University women's basketball team will be put to the test in its final exhibition game of the season when it welcomes Division II's No. 19th-ranked Glenville State to the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Thirty minutes after the conclusion of the contest, the men's teams of both schools will clash on the Henderson Center floor.
The Lady Pioneers made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance after a 24-8 season a year ago and return all five starters, including All-WVIAC picks Rachel Redick and Denae Dobbins. Redick averaged 17.7 points per game in 2004-05 while Dobbins scored 14.7 a game with 9.4 rebounds per contest.
GSC is picked to finish second in the West Virginia Conference preseason poll with its top eight scorers returning for another run to the NCAAs this season.
Marshall is coming off a 72-40 victory in its exhibition opener over another WVIAC team, West Virginia Wesleyan, last Saturday. Senior Reshundra Smiley (Modesto, Calif.) scored a game-high 17 points against the Bobcats while junior Modupe Ishola (Washington, D.C.) pounded in 14 points in the post with eight boards. The Herd out-rebounded Wesleyan 53-32 thanks in part to 12 caroms from junior Crystal Champion (Washington, D.C.).
Although the Herd is taking on yet another WVIAC program in Glenville State, head coach Royce Chadwick expects stiffer opposition in this final exhibition tune-up.
"We'll have our work cut out for us," Chadwick said. "This is not your normal exhibition evening. Glenville is a tremendous basketball team that feels they've got a chance to move toward a national championship, so the competition will be fierce.
"We hope we improved our team from seven days ago (versus Wesleyan.)"
Chadwick expects all of his players to see minutes against GSC in preparation for the regular season opener on Nov. 18 versus Tennessee State. The Herd hopes to defend its back-to-back-to-back Fifth Third MU Classic titles that weekend, with the championship contest slated for the next day. South Carolina State and Ohio will also open its seasons next weekend in Huntington.
Admission to the game costs $5 for adults and $3 for youth (17 and under).
Saturday's women's-men's doubleheader can be heard live on WMUL 88.1-FM and also followed live on the internet using GameTracker on HerdZone.com.
