Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
West Virginia Wesleyan
Marshall defeats West Virginia Wesleyan 73-41 in women's basketball exhibition
11/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 1, 2009
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-Marshall University defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 73-41 in a women's basketball exhibition game Nov. 1. The Thundering Herd defense forced 34 Bobcats' turnovers which led to 44 MU points.
"I'm very happy to get a W," said Marshall head coach Royce Chadwick. "I thought we had a lot of young kids step up and do some really good things and I'm very happy with our point guards and the way they played and I thought that their pressure was the difference in the game."
Tied for the third time (10-10) with 13:41 remaining in the first half, Angelica Harris (Sr., Memphis, Tenn.) triggered a 10-0 run with a three-pointer. Tania Walters (RS-So., Toronto, Ontario) made three of her game high seven steals during the span. West Virginia Wesleyan would narrow the Marshall advantage to nine, 25-16, with a little over eight minutes to go in the opening stanza, but a pair of Chantelle Handy (Sr., Durham, England) baskets pushed the MU advantage to back into double digits, as the Thundering Herd took a 34-23 lead into halftime.
Leading 46-31 with 14:24 remaining in the game, Marshall would hold the Bobcats scoreless over the next 10:10. The ensuing 21-0 run was halted by Teresa Tokodi who scored on a short jumper at the 4:12 mark to make it 65-33.
The Thundering Herd would shoot 61.5% from the floor in the second half (16-62) while holding West Virginia Wesleyan to only 26.1% shooting (6-26). The Herd ended the day making 29-of-56 field goals attempts (51.8%). MU forced 17 turnovers in each half while making 18 steals in the game. Marshall scored 48 points in the paint, compared to just eight for the Bobcats. The Thundering Herd held a 24-2 advantage in fast break points and 29-13 lead in bench scoring.
Tynikki Crook (Jr., Detroit, Mich.) led all scorers with 15 points. Crook also added a game high nine rebounds. Handy, who picked up two fouls in the first five minutes of the contest, would score 10 points. The 6-3 guard would not commit another foul in the game. In addition to her seven steals, Walters, the 5-0 Herd point guard, scored eight points, nabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists.
"Tynikki's really good," Chadwick said. "She's a girl that can put a double-double up any night, if she would have hit some free throws tonight she would have had big numbers, but she didn't play a ton of minutes but I felt like when she was out there she made something happen."
West Virginia Wesleyan was led by Angela Tassari who posted nine points and seven rebounds.
Marshall opens the 2009-10 regular season Friday, Nov. 13 when MU hosts Appalachian State for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
