Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
Men's Basketball Defeats UAB 81-74
2/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Tyler Wilkerson scored a career high 28 points and posted his 15th career double-double with 10 rebounds as Marshall University (18-7, 6-4 C-USA) defeated UAB (19-5, 7-3 C-USA) in Bartow Arena.
A sluggish first half saw the game tied seven times with the team exchanging the lead on four other occasions. The Herd held the Blazers to nine first half field goals, 36% field-goal shooting, and took a 29-26 advantage into the break. Marshall opened the second half on a 16-6 run to take their largest lead of the game 45-32 with 12:56 remaining. MU led by 11, 47-36, with 11:22 to go when Elijah Millsap scored six points during a 11-3 UAB spurt that got the Blazers to within three.
UAB continued to pursue Marshall and cut the lead to one (56-55) when Aaron Johnson made 1-of-2 free throws at the 7:08 mark. The Thundering Herd responded with an 8-1 run that was capped off by a Wilkerson field goal. The Blazers would get to within two when Jamarr Sanders connected on a three-pointer shortly before the final media timeout of the second half.
Marshall came out of the break in the action with a 10-2 spurt that made it 74-64 with exactly 60 seconds left. The Blazers extended the game as Johnson and Millsaps made field field goals. UAB fouled the Herd down the stretch in an effort to keep the game alive. Damier Pitts was 4-for-4 while Wilkerson was 3-of-4 from the charity stripe over the final 39 seconds as the Herd won by the final 81-74.
The teams combined for 44 fouls which led to 66 combined free throws. The Herd went 30-of-36 from the charity stripe while the Blazers were 22-of-30 from the line. Marshall was 9-of-11 from the free throw line in the final minute of the contest.
Wilkerson went 7-of-12 from the floor and made a career high 13 free throws in a career high 15 free throw attempts. Wilkerson made two assists, blocked two shots, and made one steal. Pitts scored 11 points and dished out six assists. Hassan Whiteside scored 10 points, had eight rebounds, and blocked four shots. Dago Pena came off the bench to score 10 points. Howard Crawford led five UAB players in double figures with 16 points.
"We came together as a team tonight," Wilkerson said. "We made our free throws down the stretch and that was the difference tonight."
"Tonight was a team victory," said Marshall head coach Donnie Jones. "UAB is a great team, and things went our way tonight. "We played tough defense and defended well.Everyone contributed to the victory. "
NOTES-Wilkerson surpassed the 900-point plateau with his 28-point performance...He has now scored 909 points in his career...He is third among active C-USA players in double-doubles...Wilkerson's previous high of 26 points came Feb. 3 against Tulsa...Pitts is now 22-of-27 from the free throw line in the final five minutes of games this season and 52-of-58 from the stripe in the final five minutes in his career...Whiteside, a 56+% free-throw shooter, is now 17-of-19 from the charity stripe in the final five minutes of games this season.
