Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UAB
First Half Rallies UAB Past Marshall, 74-46
1/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Marshall's Tynikki Crook hit double-digits for the 19th time this season, scoring 13 points but Amber Jones's season-high 22 points helped UAB to its second consecutive victory against the Thundering Herd in Sunday afternoon's Conference USA women's basketball matchup in Bartow Arena.
"We didn't play as good of defense as we would have hoped. Offensively we are still turning the ball over. We didn't execute on offense and we are still making freshmen mistakes," head coach Royce Chadwick said.
MU has dropped six straight, falling to 5-15 overall and 1-6 in the conference. UAB (10-11, 2-6 C-USA) grabs its 10th win of the season on the victory and its first in four games.
With Marshall on top 14-10, the Blazers exploded on a 23-7 spurt to take a 33-21 advantage. Jones started UAB off, coming off the bench to spark the Blazers with an 8-2 run of her own, connecting on back-to-back shots from beyond the arc, followed by a steal and a layup. Jones scored 13 of her 22 points on the afternoon in the first 20 minutes of action.
Despite shooting 60 percent from the floor in the opening half, the Thundering Herd turned the ball over 16 times which UAB converted into 22 points, taking a 12 point lead into the break, 40-28.
Turnovers continued to plague MU in the second half as the Herd went scoreless over six minutes in the half. The Blazers added to its lead, draining six three pointers in the half to keep the Herd out of reach.
Destiny Samuels concluded the afternoon with 10 points on five-of-five shooting from the floor.
Tessa Johnson added 10 points in the losing effort, while Lateidra Elliott chipped in five points in her first contest since Dec. 18.
The Thundering Herd opens February against East Carolina at home on Feb. 3 before traveling for back-to-back road games for the only time this season versus Southern Miss and SMU. Thursday's tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., in the Cam Henderson Center.
