Marshall University Athletics
Tulane Snaps Marshall Women's Three-Game Win Streak
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2006
Marshall at Tulane Game Book
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NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane's Nikki Luckhurst scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Green Wave past Marshall, 58-40, in Conference USA women's basketball action at Fogelman Arena on Friday.
Luckhurst, a sophomore guard, sank three of her five 3-pointers in the second half to end the Thundering Herd's three-game win streak. Jami Montagnino added 16 points for Tulane, along with Alendra Brown's 10 points, to give the Green Wave (12-10, 6-7 C-USA) its second straight win.
Marshall (13-11, 8-5 C-USA) never found its offensive rhythm, shooting at a 32.7 percent clip and turning the ball over 23 times. The Herd's 40 points is its lowest total since putting up 35 at Virginia on Dec. 20.
Marshall trailed the entire game and never seriously threatened the Tulane lead. A Sikeetha Shepard-Hall layup at 8:23 cut the Wave lead to 10 points, but that's as close as Marshall would get.
Shepard-Hall, the No. 3 scorer in Marshall history, scored her 1,500th career point with a layup at the 13 minute mark. She scored four total in the game, while center Modupe Ishola tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Reshundra Smiley scored nine points, all via the 3-point shot.
Bridget Chacon and Crystal Champion both recorded three steals.
Tulane opened the second half with a 10-1 run to pull ahead by 20 points, 39-19. A Jill Justice 3-pointer at 13:48 marked MU's first field goal of the half, kick starting Marshall's only threat to get back into the game. A Montagnino three-point play plus a Luckhurst trey with under five minutes left sealed the win for TU.
Marshall scored only 18 first-half points, its lowest total in first half play this season. Poor shooting and turnovers marred the opening stanza for Marshall. The Herd went 7-of-26 from the floor (26.9 percent) and turned the ball over 13 times, leading to 15 Green Wave points.
Eight of nine Tulane players tallied points in the first half, capped off by Dominique Philpots' layup with only three seconds remaining to give the Wave a 29-18 edge at intermission.
Marshall trailed 8-0 at the outset and did not hit its first field goal until the 16:20 mark. It was then that Smiley hit the first of back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Herd in the scoring column, behind 8-6. Tulane was able to capitalize on several Marshall miscues in the early going to jump ahead 16-8.
Smiley, fresh off her career-high four 3-pointers last Sunday versus Memphis, nailed three treys in the first half to lead all scorers with nine points entering halftime.
Tulane freshman point guard Ashley Langford, the C-USA assist leader, dished out six assists.
Tulane coach Lisa Stockton, the winningest coach in Green Wave history, recorded milestone win No. 300 of her career.
Marshall will play its last road game of the season on Sunday when it faces UTEP in El Paso, Texas. Tip-off is slated for 4:05 p.m. EST.
