Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Memphis
Marshall Rolls Past Memphis, 61-47
1/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2008
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sophomore Chantelle Handy recorded the first double-double of her career as the Marshall University women's basketball team downed Memphis, 61-47, in Conference USA action Wednesday night at Elma Roan Fieldhouse.
Handy scored ten points while grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds in the win. Kizzy Hart led the Thundering Herd with 14 points and seven rebounds while Tynikki Crook finished with 13 points.
Hart opened up the scoring in the first minute on her way to seven in the opening period. Early on, it looked like the Herd (10-5, 2-0 C-USA) would run away from the Tigers as it opened up a 12-4 lead four minutes in on back-to-back buckets by Chantelle Handy. The lead would grow to 11 with just under nine minutes to play after Tynikki Crook connected on her second field goal of the game.
Memphis (3-12, 0-2 C-USA) did not go away, holding Marshall without a point for almost five minutes while closing the lead to five, 24-19. A lay-up by Handy ended the drought, but a shot by LaToya Bullard with eight seconds remaining in the half cut the halftime lead to four, 29-25.
A re-energized Herd came out in the second half scoring 14 of the first 16 points in the half to open up a 43-27 lead just over six minutes into the half. Casey Baker got things going, scoring the first eight points of the half, hitting two shots and going 4-of-5 from the line.
The Tigers would get as close as ten with six minutes left after a three by Jessica Hall, but Marshall's defense would keep Memphis scoreless over the next four minutes and escape with the 14-point win.
Casey Baker rounded out Marshall's double-digit scorers, finishing with 12. She also had six rebounds and six assists. Despite not scoring a point, senior Melody Hudson had a strong game, contributing five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman Rebecca Bays connected on two late free throws to notch her first points as a member of the Thundering Herd.
LaToya Bullard, a transfer from the University of Florida, led the Tigers with 15 points and four steals. Just behind Bullard was Jessica Hall with 14.
With the win, Marshall improved to 2-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season when the team began its inaugural season in the conference with a 5-0 record. It marked only the second time since the 1988-89 season that the team opened its conference schedule with a 2-0 record.
On Saturday, the Herd will face UAB and C-USA leading scorer Diamond Rogers at 7 p.m. before returning home for conference games against Tulsa and SMU next weekend.
