Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Pittsburgh
Pitt Holds Off Marshall Women, 70-66
12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2007
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Pittsburgh center Marcedes Walker, a Preseason All-Big East selection, proved to be too much for the Thundering Herd, scoring 23 points and notching 16 rebounds to help the Panthers edge Marshall, 70-66, in the Fifth Third MU Classic championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall (3-4, 0-0 C-USA) kept things close in the opening half. After Pittsburgh (5-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) scored the opening six points of the game, the Herd evened the score at ten on a jumper by Tynikki Crook and would later claw back to take a 17-16 lead with under seven minutes left in the half on a free throw by Kizzy Hart.
Pitt came right back with an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to take a ten-point lead, their largest of the half. Marshall would close slightly, but entered halftime down 29-22.
The Panthers opened up the second half right where they left off, going on a 15-8 run in the first five minutes of the half to make it a 45-30 game. That would be their largest lead of the contest. The Herd would not give up and began chipping away at the Panther lead, scoring the next five to cut the lead to ten.
After six minutes of trading buckets, the Herd managed to get the lead into single digits when an Alyssa Hammond jumper made it a 9-point game with under eight minutes left in the game. With seven minutes left, the lead was cut to seven on a Casey Baker lay-up.
The Herd would cut the lead to five with under four minutes left on a Kizzy Hart jumper and, after trading baskets, Baker nailed a free throw to make it a 64-60 game, but the Panthers would be too much to overcome, connecting on six free-throw shots in the last 1:05.
Down six with four seconds left, Alix Barnette gave Marshall a bit of hope, hitting a three-pointer to make it a 69-66 contest, but Jania Sims of the Panthers hit a free throw shot to seal the game.
Alyssa Hammond scored 17 points for the Herd, her season-high. Kizzy Hart was also in double-digits with 12. Casey Baker set a career-high in steals with five. She also scored nine points.
Tournament MVP Marcedes Walker was the difference for Pitt, scoring 23 points and grabbing 16 boards. Aside from Walker, the lone Panther in double-digits was Shavonte Zellous with 18.
Rebounding played an impact in today's game, with Pitt owning the boards, out-rebounding the Herd 47-28. The Panthers shooting in the second half was also pivotal as they went 15-27 (55.6%).
Today's game marks the Herd's first loss in the Fifth Third MU Classic, Marshall had previously been 11-0 in the tournament.
In Saturday's consolation game between Jackson State and Harvard, the Crimson came out on top, 69-66, to finish third in the tournament.
Following its three-game homestand, the Herd will once again take to the road, facing North Texas on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. et. Following that game, Marshall will have a ten-day layoff before traveling to Ohio U. on December 14.
Fifth Third MU Classic All-Tournament Team
Katie Rollins, Harvard
Alyssa Hammond, Marshall
Kizzy Hart, Marshall
Shavonte Zellous, Pittsburgh
MVP:Marcedes Walker, Pittsburgh
