Marshall University Athletics
@HerdWBB Honors Seniors Saturday
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GAME 29: MARSHALL (16-12, 8-9 C-USA) vs. CHARLOTTE (13-16, 9-8 C-USA)
Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 1 p.m. ET
Huntington, W.Va. | Henderson Center (9,048)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall women's basketball (16-12, 8-9 C-USA) finishes its regular season Saturday as the Charlotte 49ers (16-12, 8-9 C-USA) visit for a 1 p.m. ET tip at the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday. Marshall will honor seniors AJ Johnson, Aja Sorrells and Chukwuka Ezeigbo in a short ceremony prior to the game.
In addition to live tweets from @HerdWBB, live stats will be available through HerdZone.com.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Charlotte (13-16, 9-8) is coming into Saturday's game having won six of its last nine contests. The 49ers are paced by Lefty Webster's 13.8 points per game and 62 steals. Kira Gordon averages 6.6 rebounds per game, while Ayanna Holmes has 138 assists and Kenya Olley leads the way with 39 blocks. Olivia Rankin (.545) and Alexis Alexander (.542) lead the team in field goal percentage and Hillary Sigmon is the squad's top 3-point shooter (49-129, .380).
HAVE YOU HERD?
Sharpshooter AJ Johnson has 69 3-pointers on the season, tying her with Shay Weaver for the single-season school record set during the 2012-13 season ... Also, Marshall's current scoring clip of 66.2 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 Herd has committed fewer turnovers than the opposition in five consecutive games.
A HERD WIN WOULD...
Give Marshall its 17th win of the season and ninth league victory. Both totals are the best in Matt Daniel's two-plus years as head coach.
Cut the 49ers' lead to 3-2 in the all-time series between the two schools
SPREADING THE WEALTH...
Five players have led Marshall in scoring through 28 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, .375), 3-point percentage defense (3rd, .289), defensive rebounds (T-3rd, 26.9) and scoring defense (5th, 60.8).
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 at half (13-1)
Leading or tied with five minutes remaining (13-0)
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 (114) and Victrum rounding out the group (86).
HOME SWEET HENDERSON CENTER
Since its inaugural season in 1981-82, the Herd is 277-168 (.622) at Cam Henderson Center. This season, the Herd is 8-4 in the friendly confines.
HIGH-SCORING AFFAIRS
Marshall's 127-56 rout of Brescia on Dec. 22 set a single-game school record, as well as a C-USA record. The Herd improved to 7-0 under coach Matt Daniel when tallying 80 points or more.
