Marshall University Athletics
Marshall To Face First Road Test At Louisville
11/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Thundering Herd men's basketball team will face its first road test of the season, traveling to Louisville on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside the KFC Yum! Center.
Fans can catch the game on ESPN3.com as Drew Deener and Bob Valvano make the call.
The Herd begins the weekend with a mark of 3-1 following a 66-60 victory over Jackson State on Monday. Shaquille Johnson led Marshall with 18 points and four steals while Tirrell Baines notched 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Johnson, along with Dago Pena and DeAndre Kane have been consistent scorers for the Herd early on, with each recording double figures in all four games thus far.
Baines has also been solid for Marshall early on. The senior is tied with Kane for the team scoring lead, but has shown impressive patience in his shot selection. That is reflected in his 71% shooting percentage, which is second in Conference USA.
Saturday's game will mark the third for Marshall in the Global Sports Shootout. The first two games of the tournament saw MU face UTC and Jackson State. Following the contest against the Cardinals, the Herd will wrap it up at home against Florida International.
Louisville comes into Saturday's tilt with a perfect 3-0 mark. Following a season-opening 88-73 win over #16 Butler, the Cardinals topped Jackson State and Chattanooga. They are receiving votes in both the Associate Press and USA Today poll.
All five projected Cardinal starters average double figures in scoring, led by junior center Terrence Jennings. Jennings has recorded 13.3 PPG while posting 6.7 rebounds per contest, second on the squad.
This will mark the 15th meeting between the two programs with the Cardinals holding on to a 9-5 edge. The teams met three seasons ago at Freedom Hall with Louisville hanging on for an 85-75 victory. Markel Humphrey was the leading scorer in the game with 24 points. Baines is the lone current player to appear in that meeting. He scored 18 points while hitting 10-of-10 free throw attempts.
Marshall will return home on Monday, taking on Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and Florida International. The Panthers are 3-1 on the season and will take on Chattanooga Saturday before making the trek to Huntington.
