Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Morehead State
Women's Hoops Holds Off Morehead State, 73-71
12/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2009
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Chantelle Handy led the Marshall women's basketball team with 16 points as the Thundering Herd grabbed a 73-71 win over Morehead State at Ellis T. Johnson Arena Friday evening.
Tynikki Crook recorded 15 points while Mystee Dale and Erica Woods notched nine apiece. The effort for Woods marked a career-best.
Marshall (5-4) notched the first four points of the game while Morehead State (8-4) responded with the next seven on its way to a 7-4 lead four minutes into the contest. The Herd quickly found its groove, coming back to take a 14-11 edge while playing very unselfishly as six players combined to score the opening 14 tallies.
The Herd pushed its lead to as many as five points, 22-17, with nine minutes left in the half, but a quick 13-3 spurt by the Eagles put them up by five, 30-25, with 3:33 left in the period. The Eagles would add to their advantage, holding a 38-32 lead heading into the half.
Chynna Bozeman, the leading scorer in the Ohio Valley Conference with 18.1 points per game, passed her season average in the first half, scoring 19 points while connecting on five three-pointers. Morehead State entered the game averaging 10.2 treys per game, second in the nation. They hit seven in the first half.
After scoring just two points in the entire first half, Tynikki Crook notched the first six MU points of the second half as the Herd overcame a six-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 40-40 two minutes into the half and retook the lead, 45-43, following a Mystee Dale trey three minutes later.
Morehead State kept the game within a possession over the next five minutes, tying the game at 53-53 before taking the lead on a three by Courtney Lumpkin, who scored seven-straight for the Eagles.
Marshall looked to be in good shape, holding a five-point edge, 63-58, with 6:38 remaining, but MSU's quick scoring offense reeled off the next five to tie it up once again. Tiffany Hamilton knocked down the Eagles 11th trey of the contest to tie it up.
It remained a one-possession game the rest of the way. Morehead State tied the game up on several occasions, but would never regain the lead. With the game tied at 69-all with two minutes remaining, Handy knocked down a pair of free throws before a Kendra King bucket made it a three-point Herd edge, 73-70. After hitting a free throw to make it a two-point deficit, the Eagles had a chance to win the game, but a half-court shot fell short at the buzzer.
King, Crook and Adrian Randall led the Herd with eight rebounds apiece as MU finished with a 45-40 edge on the boards. The Herd hit 30-of-69 shots, good for a .430 percentage.
Chynna Bozeman led MSU with 27 points, hitting 6-10 three-pointers. Courtney Lumpkin scored 18, 13 of which came in the second half.
The Herd will return to the Cam Henderson Center on Sunday to face UT-Martin. Tip is set for approximately 4:30 p.m. or 30 minutes following the men's contest against High Point. A ticket to the men's game will provide free admission to the women's game.
Sunday's game will be a part of the Fifth Third Challenge. The first 150 fans will receive a free t-shirt while one lucky fan will have the chance to win up to $1,000 in a savings account courtesy of Fifth Third Bank.
