Marshall University Athletics
Men's Hoops Set For FIU Monday
11/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Following its first road contest of the season, the Thundering Herd men's basketball team will return home on Monday to face FIU in the final game of the Global Sports Shootout on Monday evening at 7 p.m. inside the Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall begins the week at 3-2 after an 80-66 loss at Louisville on Saturday. After a strong first half that saw MU take a 34-33 lead into the half, the Cardinals bounced back with a quick run to open the second half and come away with the double-digit win.
DeAndre Kane led MU with 25 points, a career-best for the sophomore and the top scoring effort from a Marshall player thus far. Kane grabbed seven boards, helping the Herd outrebound its Big East counterpart, 43-42. Twenty-five of those boards came on the offensive side of the floor, marking the first time since January 13, 2007 that a Marshall team grabbed 25 offensive rebounds. In that contest, the Herd also recorded 25 against UCF.
FIU comes into Monday's matchup with a 4-1 mark and have won their last two games, including an 80-59 home win over Chattanooga on Saturday. The Panthers are led by head coach and Hall of Fame Isiah Thomas. Thomas is in his second season with the Panthers. They are an athletic, small team, which dresses 13 guards and just two forwards. Junior guard DeJuan Wright leads FIU with 14.9 PPG and 8.6 rebounds per game.
The Panthers will follow Monday's game with road contests at Louisville on Wednesday and at Jackson State on Saturday.
Monday's game will mark the first meeting between Marshall and FIU. The Herd does, however, have a history against the Sun Belt Conference, having played 39 games against schools currently in the league while posting a 16-23 mark against those institutions.
MU has faced Western Kentucky more than any other school in the league, trailing in that series, 11-4. Last season, Marshall played an in-season home-and-home against Troy, taking both games.
Marshall will have a five-day layoff, with its next action coming on Saturday, December 4 when the Herd travels to Athens, Ohio to take on former Mid-American Conference rival Ohio.
