Marshall University Athletics
@HerdWBB Hosts Lady Techsters Saturday Afternoon
1/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAME 20: MARSHALL (13-6, 5-3 C-USA) VS. LOUISIANA TECH (10-9, 5-2 C-USA)
Saturday, Jan. 31 | 1 p.m. ET
Huntington, W.Va. | Henderson Center (9,043)
| Live Video | Twitter
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall women's basketball (13-6, 5-3) will look to continue its hot streak against Louisiana Tech (10-9, 5-3) at the Henderson Center when it takes on the Lady Techsters at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in Huntington.
In addition to live tweets from @HerdWBB, live stats and live video streaming will be available through HerdZone.com.
SCOUTING THE LADY TECHSTERS
Louisiana Tech (10-9, 5-3) is coming into the Henderson Center having won five of its last seven contests. The Lady Techsters are paced by Whitney Frazier's 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. Chrisstasia Walter has a team-high 115 assists, while Kevione Moten is far and away the team's top shot blocker with 23 (no other player has more than five). Walter also leads the team with 40 steals and free throw percentage (.827, 43-52). Moten's .579 field goal percentage (44-76) is best, while Ruby Richie's .393 clip (11-28) is tops on the squad.
HAVE YOU HERD?
3-pointers were the name of the game against the Golden Eagles (34 of the Herd's 60 field goal attempts were from beyond the arc), but not to be overlooked are Leah Scott's career-high seven steals. But back to the long ball...McKenzie Akers nailed a career-high 5 3s in Thursday's win and Aja Sorrells hit her first long ball of the season, a big shot with just over five minutes left in the game that kept MU within shouting distance and kick-started a 17-6 run to close the game.
A HERD WIN WOULD...
Give Marshall its 14th win of the season. The last time the Herd reached that mark by the end of January was the 1986-87 campaign (17), a year that saw the program win a share of the regular season Southern Conference Championship.
Give the Herd its best start (6-3) to conference play since 2006-07, when it started 7-3.
Be Marshall's second against Lady Techsters in as many tries.
SPREADING THE WEALTH...
Four players have led Marshall in scoring through 19 games this season. They are Leah Scott, AJ Johnson, Norrisha Victrum, Chukwuka Ezeigbo and McKenzie Akers.
...AND SHARING IT
The Herd's 18 assists in the 67-65 win over Southern Miss was the most for the program in a Conference USA game since it tallied 19 in a 65-54 win over then-member Memphis on Feb. 16, 2012.
DEFENSIVE STANCE
The Herd is at or near the top of Conference USA in several defensive categories: field goal percentage defense (1st, .363), scoring defense (2nd, 58.9), 3-point percentage defense (2nd, .274) and defensive rebounds (3rd, 27.4).
UNDAUNTED
Marshall is the only Conference USA team yet to register a losing streak this season. The Herd is 6-0 in games following a loss.
BLOCK PARTY
The Herd's tandem of senior center Chukwuka Ezeigbo (Trenton, N.J.) and sophomore forward Chelsey Romero (Hampton, Va.) are blocking their way into the Marshall record book. Ezeigbo ranks No. 4 with 109 career blocks, and needs 10 to reach Modupe Ishola's 119 from 2003-07. Romero has 70 at No. 8, and needs one to reach Tammy Simms' 71 from 1986-87.
THAT'S A FIRST
Marshall's 69-37 victory at Old Dominion (Jan. 8) was the first C-USA win on the road for the Herd under coach Matt Daniel, and the first since a 69-60 defeat of UCF on March 1, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. Notably, Old Dominion's 37 points were the fewest allowed by the Herd since a 40-37 win over UAB on Feb. 19, 2012.
MARSHALL IS UNBEATEN WHEN...
Leading or tied at half (10-0)
Leading or tied with five minutes remaining (10-0)
Shooting 40 percent or better from the floor (11-0)
Scoring 61 points or more (13-0)
The game is decided by 21 points or more (3-0)
Playing after a loss (6-0)
THREE-BALLING
AJ Johnson (Silver Spring, Md.) and Norrisha Victrum (Columbia, S.C.) are nearing the top of the Marshall record book in career made 3-pointers. Both rank in the top 10, with Johnson at No. 9 (87) and Victrum rounding out the group (80).
HOME SWEET HENDERSON CENTER
Since its inaugural season in 1981-82, the Herd is 276-165 (.626) at Cam Henderson Center. This season, the Herd is 7-1 in the friendly confines.
