Marshall University Athletics
Long-Range Onslaught Fuels FAU Win over Marshall
1/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Final Stats
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Florida Atlantic hit a season-high 17 3-pointers and made a blistering 58.6 percent of those long-range attempts to down visiting Marshall, wire-to-wire, 84-73, Thursday evening at FAU Arena.
The 17 3-pointers made is the second-highest total in Conference USA history, behind the 20 the Owls made against UTEP on March 5, 2014.
The Owls improved to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in C-USA with the win, while Marshall fell to that same overall mark and 0-2 in the league.
"I thought we fought hard," Marshall coach Matt Daniel said. "Clearly they shot it great and we could have executed better, but I always think that. It's just hard to win games, even harder to win in conference and harder than that on the road in league play. I believe our young ones are seeing that more and more."
"We are going to face a very dangerous FIU team on Saturday that is hungry for a win as well. We just have to keep fighting and getting better."
FAU star Ali Gorrell went for 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the win, while Kat Wright netted 22 on 8-for-9 shooting, which included a 6-for-7 clip from 3-point range. Sasha Cedeno also made five 3-pointers en route to 15 points (three steals) and Malia Kency added 11 on three 3-pointers.
The Herd's Leah Scott tied a season-high with 24 points and set a new career-high with 13 rebounds for her ninth career double-double. Shayna Gore scored 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting and point guard Norrisha Victrum tallied 10 and three steals. Scott also had three assists and three steals.
Marshall dominated points in the paint (46-16) and had the edge in points off turnovers (18-12), second chance points (5-2), fast break points (16-6), bench points (18-15) and rebounding (41-34), which included a 14-5 margin on the offensive end.
FAU bolted to a 16-point lead (28-12) on a 3-pointer by Wright less than a minute into the second quarter. The Herd battled back in the fourth quarter and cut the margin to six on three occasions with less than four minutes to play, only to see Gorrell hit two jumpers and Kency drill another 3-pointer on the ensuing possessions each time.
Scott's point total moved her to 16th all-time at Marshall with 1,059, 23 behind Saundra Fullen (1978-80). Victrum had two assists to give her 315 and into fifth place, past Kim Lewis (1984-88).
The Thundering Herd will travel to Miami to face FIU (2-11, 0-2) Saturday at 2 p.m. The Panthers dropped a tough 71-69 contest to WKU Thursday evening on a buzzer-beater by the Lady Hilltoppers.
