Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Monmouth
Herd Women Drop Opening Game of Caribbean Classic to Monmouth
11/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2006
Monmouth-Marshall Game Book
Download Free Acrobat Reader
CANCUN, Mexico - LaKia Barber scored a game- and career-high 19 points to lead Monmouth past the Marshall women's basketball team 65-54 on Thursday at the Moon Palace Resort as part of the 2006 Caribbean Classic.
Marshall (4-1) dropped its first game of the season, largely due to its inability to keep the Hawks off the glass. Marshall was out-rebounded 41-28, surrendering 15 Monmouth offensive boards.
The Hawks (3-1) also paraded to the free-throw line 38 times, connecting on 27 (71.1 percent) as the Herd committed 30 fouls. Barber went 12-of-14 from the line to go along with a game-high eight rebounds.
The plethora of fouls prevented Marshall from ever finding its rhythm on either end of the floor. Poor first-half shooting (28 percent) was eradicated in the second half (50 percent), but the Herd couldn't find enough scorers or rebounders to counter a confident Monmouth team.
"We did not play very well at any position," Marshall head coach Royce Chadwick said. "We really miss KaShawna Curry's energy out there. Hopefully she'll be back as soon as possible."
The Herd played without the services of Curry, a senior, who dressed but did not play due to an injury suffered versus Morehead State on Tuesday.
"Mainly, we didn't capitalize on our offensive opportunities," Chadwick added. "And, when you have a young team that gets behind like we did, they struggle mightily to get out of it."
Freshman Alyssa Hammond (Oak Hill, Ohio) was Marshall's high scorer with 12 points, doing most of her damage from the free-throw line (7-of-9). Center Modupe Ishola (Washington, D.C.) netted 11 points with six rebounds.
Marshall found itself down 11 points, 34-23, six minutes into the second half. The Herd slowly crept back into the game to get to within two points on a Hammond jumper at 5:55, but Monmouth went on a back-breaking 12-2 run over the next four-plus minutes to seal the win.
The Hawks' final 15 points of the game came via the free-throw line. Monmouth's last field goal was at the 5:35 mark of the contest.
"Everybody was one step slow, one step behind," Chadwick said. "We put them on the free-throw line way too many times because we were too slow to react."
The game's opening 12-plus minutes were marred by turnovers and sloppy play. Marshall held a 16-9 lead after five straight points from Hammond at the seven-minute mark, but Monmouth responded with a 7-0 spurt to knot the game at 16-16. The Herd would connect on only one field goal in the half's final seven minutes to enter halftime down 26-19.
Guard Meg Withrow (Nitro, W.Va.) scored eight points with five steals, but committed a season-worst six turnovers. As a team, Marshall turned the ball over 20 times to Monmouth's 15 turnovers.
Marshall will take on Drake (4-0) on Friday in its final game of the Caribbean Classic. Drake defeated Richmond, 77-64, in its first game of the tournament on Thursday. Tip-off between the Herd and Bulldogs is at 4:30 p.m. ET.
