Marshall University Athletics
Herd, 49ers Tangle in Conference USA's First Round
3/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAME 30: MARSHALL (16-13, 8-10 C-USA) vs. CHARLOTTE (14-16, 10-8 C-USA)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. | Bartow Arena (8,508)
|Live Video |Twitter | Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Marshall women's basketball (16-13, 8-10 C-USA) faces an immediate rematch against the Charlotte 49ers (14-16, 10-8 C-USA) with a 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT tip at Bartow Arena in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday. The 49ers defeated the Thundering Herd 66-58 in the Henderson Center on Saturday.
In addition to live tweets from @HerdWBB, live stats will be available through HerdZone.com and live video can be seen here: http://americansportsnet.com.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Charlotte (14-16) is coming into Wednesday's game having won seven of its last 10 contests. The 49ers are paced by Lefty Webster's 14.0 points per game and 63 steals. Kira Gordon averages 6.6 rebounds per game, while Ayanna Holmes has 141 assists and Kenya Olley leads the way with 40 blocks. Alexis Alexander (.529) and Olivia Rankin (.521) and lead the team in field goal percentage and Hillary Sigmon is the squad's top 3-point shooter (51-134, .381).
HAVE YOU HERD?
Sharpshooter AJ Johnson has 70 3-pointers on the season, passing Shay Weaver for the single-season school record, previously set during the 2012-13 season ... Also, Marshall's current scoring clip of 65.9 points per game is on pace to be the program's best mark in Conference USA since that same 2007-08 season (68.0) ... The last time Marshall's first opponent in its conference tournament was also its last in the regular season was the 1999-2000 season. That season Miami (Ohio) knocked off the Herd 78-68 in the first round of the MAC Tournament after defeating Marshall 85-78 in the regular season finale.
SCOTT, EZEIGBO NAMED ALL-C-USA
Marshall's Leah Scott and Chukwuka Ezeigbo were named to the All-Conference USA second team Sunday following a vote by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.
The selections are the program's fourth and fifth to the league's second team. Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (2006), Modupe Ishola (2007) and Tynikki Crook (2011) previously earned the honor.
Ezeigbo was also named to the league's All-Defensive Team, making her only the second Marshall player to gain that distinction (Casey Baker, 2008).
Scott leads Marshall and is 11th in the league in scoring (14.6 points per game). Earlier this season, the 6-0 forward from Detroit became the first Marshall player to earn Conference USA Player of the Week honors twice (Nov. 17, Jan. 19) in one season. She has six double-doubles so far this season as well.
Ezeigbo is among the national leaders in field goal percentage (.644) and is second among active C-USA players in rebounding (10.3). She is also fifth in the league with 38 blocked shots. For her career, she has 115 rejections, fourth-most in school history and four behind Ishola for third. The 6'3 senior center finished the regular season tied for the league lead in double-doubles with 13.
A HERD WIN WOULD...
Give Marshall its 17th win of the season, the highest total in Matt Daniel's two-plus years as head coach.
Cut the 49ers' lead to 4-2 in the all-time series between the two schools
SPREADING THE WEALTH...
Five players have led Marshall in scoring through 29 games this season. They are Leah Scott, AJ Johnson, Norrisha Victrum, Chukwuka Ezeigbo and McKenzie Akers.
DEFENSIVE STANCE
The Herd is near the top of Conference USA in several defensive categories: field goal percentage defense (2nd, .376), 3-point percentage defense (3rd, .291), defensive rebounds (4th, 27.0) and scoring defense (4th, 61.0).
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 115 career blocks, and needs four to reach Modupe Ishola's 119 from 2003-07. Romero has 83 at No. 7.
CLOSERS
Leading or tied with five minutes remaining (13-0)
Leading or tied at half (13-2)
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. 5 (115) and Victrum rounding out the group (86).
HOME SWEET HENDERSON CENTER
Since its inaugural season in 1981-82, the Herd is 277-169 (.621) at Cam Henderson Center. This season, the Herd is 8-5 in the friendly confines.
