Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Men's Basketball Hosts UCF Feb. 27
2/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.--Marshall University (21-7, 9-4 C-USA) hosts UCF (13-14, 5-8 C-USA) Feb. 27 in the Cam Henderson Center. Marshall came from 12 down in the second half to defeat UCF 81-75 Jan. 13 in Orlando. The Thundering Herd and the Knights are playing for the 10th time with Marshall leading the all-time series 5-4.
Saturday's game will feature the Pepsi Spring Break Giveaway in which five Marshall students will win an all inclusive trip for two to Cancun, Mexico. The winners will also receive spending money.
Marshall University is also participating in the inaugural "Love College Hoops....Beat Cancer Week," a fan-driven initiative created to support the fight against cancer. Through Sunday, Feb. 28, college basketball fans around the country are encouraged to support cancer awareness by wearing headbands to their respective home basketball games. Thundering Herd fans are encouraged to wear headbands Saturday, Feb. 27, for Marshall's 7 p.m. game against Central Florida at Cam Henderson Center.
The official school-specific headband for "Love College Hoops....Beat Cancer Week" will be made available to retailers by collegiate headwear licensee Top of the World, with a percentage of proceeds being contributed to the American Cancer Society in connection with the Coaches vs. Cancer program. The headbands are available for $5 in the Marshall Bookstore.
UCF is 1-of-2 Conference USA teams who have a different overall and league scoring leaders. In all games, Isaac Sosa is team leader in scoring (10.3) while Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, is the Knights' leading scorer in C-USA play (10.5). Forward A.J. Tyler is averaging 10.2 ppg while frontcourt mate Keith Clanton is the team's leading rebounder (6.7 rpg).
Hassan Whiteside (Fr., Gastonia, N.C.) reset the Conference USA record for most blocks in a season as Marshall defeated Rice 77-54 Feb. 24 in Houston, Texas. Whiteside blocked four shots to raise his season total to 146, breaking the old record of 143 which was set by Tulsa's Jerome Jordan during the 2007-08 campaign. Whiteside recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Whiteside tied his season best with the 17 boards. Whiteside also tied his season high with two steals.
Chris Lutz (R-Sr., Bedford, N.H.) surpassed the 1,000 career point plateau with a game high 20 points. Lutz, who began his career at Purdue, was 6-of-10 from three-point range to raise his career total to 1,015 points. Dago Pena (So., Punta Gorda, Fla.) scored nine of his 11 points and hauled in all of his seven rebounds in the second half for the Herd off the bench.
Leading 47-37 midway through the second half, MU used an 11-2 run to break the game open. The Thundering Herd held the Owls to 32.8% shooting (20-of-61). Rice managed only eight field goals (8-of-32) in the first half. Marshall outrebounded the Owls 48-35 and shot 40% (10-of-25) from three-point range.
