Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Coastal Carolina
@HerdWBB Takes Down Coastal Carolina, 77-65
11/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CONWAY, S.C. - With help from four double-figure scoring efforts, including a career high 21 from senior AJ Johnson (Silver Spring, Md.), Marshall women's basketball (4-1) took down previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina (4-1), 77-65, on Saturday afternoon at The HTC Center.
The win gave the Herd its best start to the season since 2006-07 at 4-1. Marshall also gained a winning record on the road, 2-1, and evened the series with the Chanticleers at 2-2. The Herd earned its first win against CCU since Jan. 5, 1988, when it won 78-51 in Conway.
An 11-4 Herd run started things off, which included two threes by Johnson. Coastal Carolina responded with a 5-0 run to cut Marshall's lead to 11-9 at 15:15. A 10-2 Marshall run with a 3-pointer from both McKenzie Akers (Princeton, W.Va.) and Kiana Evans (Huntington, W.Va.) put the Herd in its first double-figure lead, up 21-11 at 12:02. From 8:40 to 4:21, Marshall held the Chants to just two points, and added eight to make it 29-15. At the half, the Herd held a nine-point advantage over CCU, up 33-24. Johnson had already reached a season-high 14 points at the break on 5-of-6 from the field, with all but one bucket from long range.
Marshall kept the momentum to open the second half, going up by as many as 17 at 14:03. However, a 10-0 run by the Chants would cut the Herd lead to as few as seven at 12:00, 49-42. Marshall's margin fluctuated between seven and 11 for the next 10 minutes, and then with 00:56 remaining, the Herd secured a 10-point lead at 72-62 and kept it in double figures for the rest of the game. A last-second 3-pointer by Stephanie Isaacs sealed he final score at 77-65.
Johnson ended with a 5-of-9 performance from behind the arc en route to her career high 21 points. Senior Leah Scott (Detroit) finished with her second consecutive double-double with 14 points and a career high 11 rebounds. Junior Norrisha Victrum (Columbia, S.C.) and sophomore Chelsey Romero (Hampton, Va.) rounded out double-figure scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
As a team, the Herd shot 50 percent from the field at 27-of-54, its best mark of the season. Marshall also put up a 47 percent clip from long range (8-of-17). Despite being outrebounded, 43-40, the Herd handily outscored the Chants in the paint 38-18, and produced 17 points off 12 turnovers.
DANIEL DIALOGUE
Quotes from coach Matt Daniel:
On the well-balanced win:
"I'm happy to get another road win against a team that was undefeated. I thought we did a good job of executing the game plan against a team that was out-rebounding opponents by 25 or more. We did a good job on the glass. Our defensive efficiency was really impressive. When they tried to turn it into a track meet, we settled in and were fine playing any way we needed to in order to win the game. I thought we got some good lifts off the bench in assignments that may not even show up in the stat sheet. I thought it was a good team win."
THE LAST TIMEââ'¬Â¦
- The Herd began the season at 4-1: 2006-07
- The Herd had four players in double figures: Nov. 14, 2014 - at Rhode Island (W, 61-45)
MILESTONES
- AJ Johnson: career high 21 points (previous 18 vs. Wofford, 12/19/13)
- AJ Johnson: matched career high five 3-pointers (5 vs. UAB, 1/11/14)
- Leah Scott: second consecutive double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds)
- Leah Scott: career high 11 rebounds (previous 10, twice)
THE SERIES
Marshall even the series at 2-2, and earned its first win against the Chants since Jan. 5, 1988 (71-58).
LET'S GET SOCIAL
Keep up with the latest news about Herd basketball by liking the team's official Facebook page: Marshall University Basketball. For live in-game updates and news, follow @HerdWBB on Twitter. Want to see photos and behind-the-scenes action? Give @HerdWBB a follow on Instagram.
UP NEXT
Marshall will complete its three-game road stretch at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in Richmond, Ky. For all the latest information about Marshall women's basketball, follow @HerdWBB on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
