Marshall University Athletics
Herd Women Travel To C-USA Championship
3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 3, 2009
NEW ORLEANS - The Thundering Herd women's basketball team looks to carry momentum from its 3-1 finish to the regular season as it travels to Conference USA Championship in New Orleans, which will be hosted by Tulane University.
Marshall opens up tournament play Thursday evening, facing Memphis at 9 p.m. ET at Fogelman Arena. The Herd, who finished the season 15-14 and 8-8 in C-USA play, enters the tournament as the seventh seed while Memphis is seeded tenth. The Tigers were 12-17 overall and 5-11 in the league.
The Herd will look to keep its streak alive against the Tigers as Marshall holds a perfect 9-0 record in the series. Marshall took both regular season games this year, topping the Tigers, 72-57, in Huntington, before taking a 70-61 road win two weeks ago.
Thursday's meeting will also mark the second time the squads have squared off in the tournament. In Marshall's inaugural season in the league, Marshall took an 80-73 decision over the Tigers before falling to Southern Miss on a buzzer-beating shot in the second round. Overall, Marshall is 3-3 in C-USA Tournament play.
After going 1-1 in 2006, Marshall fell to Houston, 71-58, in 2007. That contest was highlighted by a tournament record 43 points by Tye Jackson.
Last season, the Herd fell just a half short of advancing to the championship game. The first round saw the Herd top Tulane, 65-58, in a game that saw MU led by as many as 23 points. In the second round, 40 minutes was not enough for Marshall and UAB, who needed overtime to settle the score. With time running out, Kizzy Hart hit a jumper to send the Herd to the semis.
In the semifinal matchup against SMU, the eventual league champion, Marshall jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half before the Mustangs fought back for a 68-59 victory.
Tynikki Crook, who was named to the All-Conference USA Third Team earlier today, averaged 20.5 PPG in two meetings with the Tigers this season. She was also solid on the glass, grabbing 9.5 rebounds in the two games.
Chantelle Handy has also enjoyed success against the Tigers. Over the last four games against Memphis, Handy has averaged 13.3 PPG. In last year's meeting on the road, Handy recorded her first career double-double, scoring ten points while grabbing 13 rebounds, still tied for her career mark today.
Memphis is led by Paris Leonard. Leonard was the No. 3 scorer in the league, averaging 16.6 PPG and was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team for her efforts. The winner of Thursday's game will advance to face second seed UTEP at 9 p.m. ET on Friday.
Full championship information is available by clicking here.
