Marshall University Athletics
@HerdMBB Ready for Road Meeting with Blue Raiders
2/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME 26: MARSHALL (9-16, 5-7 C-USA) vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE (13-13, 6-7)
Thursday, Feb. 19 | 5 p.m. ET
Murfreesboro, Tenn. | Cam Henderson Center (9,048)
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Radio | Twitter
**NOTE: Due to worsening weather conditions, the game will now be played at 5 p.m. ET instead of the original 8 p.m. ET tip time.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - With the regular season winding down, Marshall men's basketball (9-16, 5-7) will look to continue its hot streak at Middle Tennessee (13-13, 6-7) Thursday at 5 p.m. ET at Murphy Center.
In addition to live tweets from @HerdMBB, live stats and live video streaming will be available through GoBlueRaiders.com. The official live radio broadcast can be found on the Thundering Herd IMG Sports Network and College Sports Live.
HAVE YOU HERD?
Balanced contributions from across the roster, including a seventh consecutive double-double from Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) helped lift Marshall to its fifth win in six outings: an 87-82 defeat of Western Kentucky in front of a raucous crowd of 6,135 at Cam Henderson Center on Saturday evening. With the win, Marshall swept its three-game home stand and earned its fifth win in league play - the most for the Herd since it went 6-10 in 2012-13.
A WIN WOULDââ'¬Â¦
- Be the Herd's sixth in the last seven games
- Give Marshall six wins in a seven-game stretch during the regular season for the first time since 2011 (Feb. 12 - March 5, 2011)
- Give the Herd a four-game win streak (regular season or C-USA season) for the first time since it opened 2012 C-USA play at 4-0 (Jan. 4 - 14, 2012)
- Give Marshall its longest win streak of the season (four games)
- Give the Herd its most wins in C-USA play (six) since 2012-13, when it went 6-10
CHUCKING UP DEUCES
Seven consecutive double-doubles for Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) marks the longest Marshall streak since J.R. VanHoose closed out 2000-01 with 10 straight. Taylor has 12 this season, which tops Conference USA and ranks No. 19 among Division I men's basketball players. VanHoose had 55 for his career: nine as a freshman, 10 as a sophomore, 20 as a junior and 16 as a senior.
LOOP FROM LONG RANGE
Redshirt sophomore Austin Loop (South Webster, Ohio) is a staple for the Herd's offense as the team's leader from 3-Point Land. He tops Conference USA with 2.8 treys made per game, ranking No. 36 among Division I men's basketball players. Against Western Kentucky (Feb. 14) he reached a career high for makes when he went 6-of-10. He also ranks nationally in total 3-point attempts (177, No. 38) and total 3-pointers made (69, No. 38).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Marshall listed six double-figure scorers in an 80-73 win against North Texas on Saturday, Feb. 7: a first versus a Division I opponent since a triple-overtime home win against UCF, 121-115, on Feb. 27, 2010. The last time the Herd did that in regulation time was on Dec. 20, 2009, in a 109-76 win over High Point at Cam Henderson Center. This season, the Herd is a combined 4-1 when five or more players score 10 or more points each.
MOVIN' ON UP
Since its nine-game losing streak ended against UTEP on Jan. 24, the Herd has won five of its last six games, moving from last place into a three-way tie for sixth in Conference USA. Marshall's five league wins are the most since the Herd went 6-10 in 2012-13.
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 @HerdMBB on Twitter. Want to see photos and behind-the-scenes action? Give @HerdMBB a follow on Instagram.
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee (13-13, 6-7) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts the Herd on Thursday. The Blue Raiders have dropped their last two outings by a combined four points, including its most recent one-point slip at North Texas, 57-56 (Feb. 14). Twelve different members of the team have started at least one game this season, while MT lists just one double-figure scorer in Reggie Upshaw (10.3 ppg), who also leads the team in rebounding (6.6/game). As a team, Middle Tennessee has the league's best rebounding defense (34.0/game) and its No. 2 scoring defense (62.1 ppg) and rebounding margin (+3.6).
Marshall trails the all-time series, 2-5, and has never won in Murfreesboro (0-3). The Herd's last win against the Blue Raiders came Nov. 17, 2009: a 63-60 victory at Cam Henderson Center. Last season, MT escaped with a 56-53 road win after Jawawn Raymond hit a 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go (Feb. 22, 2014).
UP NEXT
The Herd will complete its road trip at the site of the 2015 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship: Birmingham, Ala. Marshall will face the UAB Blazers at 8 p.m. ET in Bartow Arena. For all the latest information about Marshall men's basketball, follow @HerdMBB on Twitter.
---HerdZone.com---
