Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UCF
Herd Completes Sweep of UCF, Ends Five-Game Skid
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2007
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ORLANDO, Fla. - Marshall ended its five-game losing streak and posted a season sweep of UCF with a resounding 64-46 win over the Golden Knights in Conference USA women's basketball action at UCF Arena on Thursday.
The Thundering Herd (15-13, 8-7) never trailed and led by as many as 23 points in the second half. Marshall's lead was threatened at the outset of the second half when UCF closed to within 10 points, but the Herd regrouped and kept the Golden Knights (8-20, 3-12) at bay the rest of the game.
Herd center Modupe Ishola (Washington, D.C.) tallied her 14th double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Meg Withrow (Nitro, W.Va.) netted a game-high 15 points, followed by 11 points and seven rebounds from junior forward Meagan Samis (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
The Herd used a hybrid starting lineup due to its injury woes. Withrow, who missed the last two games, returned to the lineup and came off the bench for the first time this season. The sophomore played 22 minutes and was 5-for-8 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Senior forward KaShawna Curry (Huntington, W.Va.) started at point guard for Withrow and enjoyed a strong outing at a new position. She scored two points, with five rebounds and an assist, and got the Herd offense flowing.
Freshman Alix Barnette (Chapel Hill, N.C.) got her first career start. The guard scored eight points with two rebounds and an assist in a career-high 24 minutes. Sophomore forward Kendra King (Fairfax, Va.) provided a strong presence in the lane, scoring nine points with seven rebounds and a career-high five assists.
Marshall, poised to end its losing streak at five games, looked the part of a hungry team in the first half. The Herd led the Golden Knights by 20 points, 41-21, at halftime, its biggest advantage of the season after the opening 20 minutes.
The Herd jumped out to an eight-point lead six minutes into the game. Ishola scored MU's first four points of the contest before Samis connected on the Herd's next three field goals. Samis, in the starting lineup for only the second time this season, scored eight points in the first half with six rebounds playing with limited mobility in her non-shooting arm due to an injury that caused her to miss three games.
Ishola grabbed six offensive rebounds in the first half, eight total, just four off her career high for offensive rebounds in a game (10). Withrow scored 12 points in the first half on 4-of-5 shooting (2-for-2 3-pt. FG).
The Herd shot 45.5 percent in the first half and held UCF to 26.7 percent.
UCF held Marshall scoreless for the first 6:23 of the second half while scoring the first 10 points of the frame to close its deficit to 41-31. An Ishola free throw followed quickly by a Withrow 3-pointer ended the Golden Knight run and sent UCF into a shooting funk of its own. MU broke out for an 11-1 run after UCF's early charge to regain its 20-point edge midway through the second half.
Marshall led by 23 points, 60-37 at 4:24, after Curry grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast through the UCF defense for a layup.
UCF's Francine Houston scored a team-high 12 points. Shante Cummings netted 11 and pulled down seven rebounds.
Marshall will close out the regular season on Saturday versus Southern Miss. Tip-off from Hattiesburg, Miss., is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
