Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
Charlotte (C-USA First Round)
Charlotte's Huge Run, Bench Too Much for Marshall
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The ninth-seeded Charlotte women's basketball team erased a 10-point second-half deficit and doubled up eighth-seeded Marshall in the second half to pull away to a 67-52 win at Bartow Arena in first-round action at the Conference USA Tournament.
Charlotte improved to 15-16 overall, while Marshall dropped its fourth-straight contest to dip to 16-14.
The 49ers, who had 26 bench points to none for the Herd, advance to play top-seeded Western Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT Thursday afternoon.
Charlotte got a double-double from Alexis Alexander, who registered 16 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Lefty Webster also had 16 points and seven assists, while Hillary Sigmon chipped in 11 points. Ayanna Holmes navigated foul trouble to post seven assists as well.
Marshall got a pair of double-doubles from Leah Scott (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Chukwuka Ezeigbo (14 points, 15 rebounds). Ezeigbo's 15 caroms are a Marshall C-USA Tournament single-game high, topping Tynikki Crook's 14 in a 65-58 first-round win over Tulane on March 6, 2008.
The game was tight throughout the first half before Marshall got a Scott layup and a McKenzie Akers jumper in the last 45 seconds to give the Herd a 34-31 lead at the break.
Marshall kept the run going to begin the second half when AJ Johnson hit a jumper, Scott nailed a 3-pointer and Ezeigbo nailed a jumper to give MU a 41-31 lead with 16:35 left.
It was all Charlotte after that, though, as the 49ers outscored Marshall 36-11 the rest of the way.
The 49ers forced 17 Herd turnovers, while committing just six themselves, yielding a 17-2 edge in points off turnovers.
