Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Old Dominion
@HerdWBB Trumps Lady Monarchs, 69-37
1/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats | Final Book 
| Postgame Press Conference
NORFOLK, Va. - A potent combination of four double-figure scorers and hard-nosed defensive play led to Marshall women's basketball's (9-4, 1-1) first win on the road in Conference USA play since 2012: a 69-37 trumping of Old Dominion on Thursday at Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Led by a double-double effort of 14 points and 12 rebounds by Chukwuka Ezeigbo (Trenton, N.J.), the Herd picked up its first league road win 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 came out of the gate on a hot streak, going up by as many as 16 in the first eight minutes, up 23-7 after an 8-0 run that included back-to-back triples by McKenzie Akers (Princeton, W.Va.). At that point, Marshall had converted 10 of its first 12 field goal attempts and three of its first four from long range. The Herd also collected eight assists on its first 11 field goals.
But that showing was not all the Herd had left to put forth in the first half. Marshall gained a lead of 28 after a 16-0 run over seven minutes, up 39-11 at 4:44, and then a largest first-half lead of 29 with 47 seconds to go. From 10:59 to 0:02 remaining, the Herd did not allow a Lady Monarch field goal, and went into the locker room up by 27, 42-15.
The Herd kept its feet on the gas in the second half, going on an 8-0 run over 3:17 to lead by 35 points at 11:54, up 56-21. After an Akers 3-pointer and a 1-and-1 conversion by Aja Sorrells (Athens, Ga.), Marshall reached its zenith of a 39-point lead, up 64-25 with 6:15 to play. From that point, the Herd held the Lady Monarchs to 5-of-11 from the floor, to end the game with a 69-37 win.
Leah Scott (Detroit) rounded out double-figure scoring for Marshall with 10, alongside Ezeigbo (14), Akers (12,) and Sorrells (10). The Herd oud-did the Lady Monarchs on the boards (43-41) in the paint (30-18), off turnovers (17-9), on second chances (13-11), and off the bench (21-11). Marshall also totaled 15 assists on 26 field goals, with seven by junior Norrisha Victrum (Columbia, S.C.). The Herd shot with a 45.6 percent clip from the field (26-of-57), and held Old Dominion to 23.8 percent (15-of-63).
DANIEL DIALOGUE
Quotes from coach Matt Daniel:
On what the Herd did well against Old Dominion:
"We were patient, and we let the offense work for us. We tried to attack, but we tried to attack with patience. We like to score, but we're not looking to score in the first seven seconds. We're looking to score in the right seven seconds, and we did a pretty good job of that."
On whether this was the best game Marshall has played this season:
"No. We're 9-4 and I think we've played a lot better. We've scored 127, so we're capable of playing better. I could look at the stat sheet and carve it up. We gave up too many offensive rebounds."
On what this win means for the Herd, moving forward:
"Karen [Barefoot, ODU coach] will tell you this: it's not the time of the year to hang your head, and it's not the time of the year to hoot and holler. It's on to the next one, and we've got to go to Charlotte next."
WITH THE WINââ'¬Â¦
- The Herd gained its best record since 2011-12 (9-4)
- Marshall tied the series with Old Dominion, 2-2
- The Herd earned its first victory over the Lady Monarchs since Feb. 1, 1974 (W, 41-34, at Radford Tournament)
- Marshall earned its first win against ODU in Norfolk
THE LAST TIME
- The Herd won on the road in Conference USA play: March 1, 2012, at UCF (W, 69-60)
MILESTONES
- Chukwuka Ezeigbo: second consecutive double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds), sixth of the season, 12th of her career
- McKenzie Akers: tied career-high four 3-pointers
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
The Herd will travel five hours southwest to Charlotte, N.C., for a meeting with Charlotte on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. For all the latest information about Marshall women's basketball, follow @HerdWBB on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
