Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Rice
Marshall Men Complete Comeback Against Owls, 69-64
2/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2007
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HUNTINGTON - Senior night was a rousing success for the Thundering Herd Wednesday night, as Marshall downed Rice, 69-64, in front of a national television audience on CSTV. Junior Mark Dorris (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored 18 points to lead the Thundering Herd.
With the win, Marshall improves to 12-17, 7-8 in Conference USA, while the Owls drop to 14-14, 8-7 in league action.
The homestanding Herd trailed for most of the contest, but made a late defensive stand in the second half to come away with the win. Trailing by six, 59-53, with 8:14 to play, Marshall went on a 7-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 60-59 lead, a spurt capped off by a long Chris Ross (San Antonio, Texas) three point shot. Both teams then exchanged baskets over the next 2:30, and with 1:44 to play in regulation, both teams were tied at 63. Rice's Patrick Britton then knocked in one of two foul shots to give the Owls a 64-63 lead, but it was all Marshall the rest of the way, as the Herd scored the last six points of the contest. Markel Humphrey (Ellenwood, Ga.), the team's leading scorer, scored the first four of the final six-point run on two powerful layups in the paint. Dorris knocked in the final two points on two crucial free throws with the Herd clinging to a three-point lead, 67-64, with three seconds remaining.
"I am happy for the seniors," said Marshall head coach Ron Jirsa. "They played a great game. We played about the whole game behind and were able to get back ahead at the end. I am really happy for our guys.
"It was perseverance," said Jirsa after his team's comeback in the second half. "Markel (Humphrey) played a great game. We went to him at the end and he delivered. That was a heck of a layup. He had a mismatch with their forward on him, and we didn't want to use a time out. We got him the ball, and he had the awareness to go by him to the hole. The defense brought us back and held Rice down the last eight minutes of the game. Morris Almond is a great player but we were able to hold him down during that stretch."
Marshall, who has won 13 out of its last 14 senior day games and nine consecutive senior day contests, withstood a 29-point performance by the nation's third-leading scorer, Rice guard Morris Almond. Almond had nine points at half, but then reeled off 15 in a row to start the second half. Herd defenders, led by senior Tre Whitted (Wilmington, N.C.), clamped down on the senior and limited him to no points in the final 8:14 of the contest. Almond also ended with seven turnovers in 35 minutes of action. For the game, MU forced 22 Rice turnovers, compared to only ten for the Thundering Herd.
Rice led, 33-30, at the half after trailing only once in the opening stanza of play. The Herd's only lead came at the 13:25 mark in the first half at 13-12 on a made three by Dorris.
Almond led all scorers with 29 points. He was the only Rice player in double figures. He also led all rebounders with nine.
"We did not play with the assertiveness we needed to win tonight," said Rice coach Willis Wilson. "The bottom line is that it's hard to defend turnovers. It really puts your defense in a compromising situation. It gives the home team some confidence, and you need more mental toughness to overcome that."
Dorris paced the Herd effort with 18 points. Humphrey scored 16 points, and Whitted chipped in ten points. Humphrey and Tyler Wilkerson (Lexington, Ky.) led all Marshall players on the glass with seven boards apiece.
"No one wanted to see the seniors lose tonight," said Humphrey. "We were thinking about the seniors, and I just decided to step up and get to the basket."
"It feels great," said four-year senior Tre Whitted. "It is funny that I am actually a senior now. I've been through four of these (Senior Nights) now, and the energy was great and the fans were great. It was a big win for us."
Marshall returns to the road for its final game of the season at Southern Miss. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m EST.
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