Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Tennessee
Vols' Second-Half Comeback Tops @HerdMBB, 84-74
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ââ'¬" Five players reached double-figure scoring for Marshall men's basketball (0-1), including two double-double performances, in an 84-74 loss at Tennessee (2-1) at Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday evening.
It was the Herd's first loss to open regular-season play since Nov. 18, 2005, at Evansville (91-81), snapping a nine-year streak. The game marked the first time Marshall faced a power conference opponent to open a season since Dec. 1, 1969, at Kansas (96-80 loss).
In their first outing as members of the Herd, junior guard Stevie Browning (Logan, W.Va.) and senior forward James Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich.) had 18 and 14 points, respectively. Kelly added 12 rebounds for his first double-double. Junior forward Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis, Ind.) matched Browning with a team-high 18 points and had 11 rebounds for the 22nd double-double of his career.
The game began with three ties within the first three minutes, and Marshall's first five points came from Taylor. Kelly's first points as a member of the Herd came at 17:43 with a dunk to tie the game at 7-7. Browning stopped a 6-0 Vols run at 16:21 with two free throws, his first points for Marshall.
A 10-0 run over 3:52 launched the Herd into its largest lead of the half, up 30-23. The Vols responded with a 6-0 run of their own, closing the gap to 30-29 with 3:31 before halftime. The Herd held on to its lead going into the break, up 38-35.
Coming out of halftime, the Herd exploded for a 13-0 run, which included five points from Austin Loop (South Webster, Ohio) and four from Kelly. Marshall reached its largest lead of 16, up 51-35, at 14:59. The Herd did not allow a single Volunteer point until the 14:36 mark.
At that point, the tide began to turn. A 7-0 run turned into a 33-6 run for Tennessee spanning 6:50, from 14:36 to 7:46. The Vols cruised into their largest lead of the game up to that point, up 68-57. Tennessee reached a 12-point lead with 3:21 left to play, but the Herd clawed back within six points (78-72) at 1:28. Foul trouble for the Herd and cool free throw shooting by the Vols down the stretch gave Tennessee the 10-point victory, 84-74.
Loop and senior guard Justin Edmonds (Albion, Mich.) each had 11 points to round-out double-figure scoring for Marshall. Edmonds and Browning had five assists apiece to lead the Herd. Additionally, freshman guard Noah Frampton (Poca, W.Va.) contributed his minutes as a member of the Herd and had two points.
UP NEXT
Marshall will take a short road trip to face regional rival Morehead State in Morehead, Ky., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. ET. For all the latest information about Marshall men's basketball, follow @HerdMBB on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
