Marshall University Athletics
@HerdWBB Continues Westward Swing at UTEP Saturday
1/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes
Live Video
EL PASO, Tx. - The Marshall women's basketball team (12-7 overall, 4-4 Conference USA) travels to UTEP (5-14, 2-5) on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. MT for a contest in the Don Haskins Center.
SCOUTING UTEP
The Miners are coming off a 71-56 loss to WKU and currently sit 12th in the league standings. They are led by Sparkle Taylor's 16.7 points per game, as well has her 25 steals. Tamara Seda is the top rebounder (9.8) and she also has a team-high 29 blocks. Lulu McKinney is the leader in assists (92) and 3-pointers made (25) and free throw percentage (.840). Najala Howell is the program's most accurate 3-point shooter (.432). They are tied with Marshall for the league lead in rebounding offense (41.6) but are last in 3-point percentage (.265).
MARSHALL IN CONFERENCE USA
The Thundering Herd leads C-USA (all games) in:
3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense: .276
Rebounding Offense: 41.6
Defensive Rebounds: 27.8
3-Point Field Goals Made: 7.8
The Thundering Herd leads C-USA (league games only) in:
Blocked Shots: 5.4
The following rank in the top 10 in C-USA's statistical categories (all games):
RECORD-SETTING
Marshall registered 33 made field goals and 88 points in Thursday's win over UTSA. That is the highest number of field goals the program has made since joining Conference USA and the most points in a league game since Jan. 7, 2007 when Marshall won 96-83 versus Southern Miss.
IRONWOMAN
Hamilton has been extremely durable and dependable during her season and a half with the program. Not only has she played in all 52 of Marshall's games during that period, but she has started all of them as well. She has been especially effective of late, registering double-figure scoring in six of her last seven games and connecting on 28 of her last 48 field goals (.583) in her last five. In league games, she is far and away the conference's top shot blocker at 2.9 per outing, 1.2 ahead of second place. Hamilton's three rejections at UTSA gave her 76 for her career, 11 shy of Lisa Pruner (1980-84) seventh-place mark of 87 in the school's all-time records. This season, she has been exceptional on the defensive end, registering 12 straight games with at least one block and eight in a row with two or more.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Thundering Herd is 9-1 at home this season, where it averages 77.6 points, .462 shooting from the field (282-for-611) and 79-for-229 (.345) from downtown. It also outrebounds the opposition 44.8 to 35.1 and has a staggering 62-15 edge in blocked shots. In fact, Marshall has won 19 consecutive non-conference games in the Cam Henderson Center. Its last loss was a 72-68 setback against Navy on Dec. 29, 2013.
ON PACE
This year's Thundering Herd is on pace to set its best marks under head coach Matt Daniel. Currently, they are:
73.5 points per game (70.5 in 2015-16)
.432 FG% (.426 in 2015-16)
.374 FG% defense (.380 in 2014-15)
7.8 3-pointers per game (6.6 in 2015-16)
.322 3FG% (.315 in 2014-15)
.276 3FG% defense (.294 in 2014-15)
41.6 rebounds (38.4 in 2013-14)
13.8 offensive rebounds (12.7 in 2013-14)
5.6 blocks (4.4 in 2013-14)
1.9 blocks allowed (2.2 in 2012-13)
13.0 assists allowed (13.2 in 2014-15)
STREAKING
The Thundering Herd has had more (or as many) blocks than the opposition in 11 straight games.
ALL FOUR
Marshall has not been outscored in any quarter this season. The totals are below:
First quarter: 368-286
Second quarter: 310-309
Third quarter: 375-311
Fourth quarter: 343-310
AKERS GOES LONG
Marshall junior McKenzie Akers is fifth in the school's record book with 118 3-pointers after passing former teammate AJ Johnson (117, 2013-15). Toni Patillo (121, 1997-2001) is fourth, followed by Cindy McCauley in third (131, 1994-98), Natal Rosko in second (136, 1994-98) and Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (146, 2002-06).
STINGY DEFENSE
The Thundering Herd leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.276) and defensive rebounds (27.8). In Marshall's 12 wins, it has yielded just a .332 shooting percentage (244-for-736) and .237 (64-for-270) from 3-point range and has allowed more than 67 points just once (81, at UTSA). In fact, dating back to last season, Marshall has won 18 straight games when allowing 68 points or less (L at Middle Tennessee, 65-54, 1/28/16).
FRESHMAN INSIDE FORCE
Freshman forward Ashley Saintigene has been a force around the paint. Saintigene is third in Conference USA with 1.9 blocks per contest, while ranking fourth in offensive rebounds (3.6). She is also tied for the team lead (with Khadaijia Brooks) in rebounding at 6.8 per game. All of those stats have been accrued in just 16.5 minutes per game. The Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., native was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week Dec. 12, Dec. 23 and Jan. 3.
KB WORKS GLASS, ARC
Sophomore forward Khadaijia Brooks has been working the interior for Marshall in 2016-17. Brooks is one of the team's leading rebounders with 6.8 caroms per game. She has recorded at least five boards in all but four contests and grabbed a career-high 12 against Maine-Fort Kent, when she also posted a career-high 22 points. She recorded back-to-back double-doubles at Charlotte (12 points, 10 rebounds) and versus Middle Tennessee (11 points, 10 rebounds). She has also greatly improved her 3-point shooting in 2016-17. Last season, she made just one of six attempts (.167). This season, that figure is .321 (17-for-53).
BLOCK PARTY
The Herd leads the league (conference games only) in blocked shots (5.4) per game this season and has more blocks than the opposition in all but one game (at North Carolina). Marshall recorded 10 blocks in the season debut at Illinois and followed that with 11 swats versus FIU on Dec. 30. Against the Fighting Illini, redshirt-senior Talequia Hamilton led Marshall with a career-high five rejections. Freshman Ashley Saintigene had three blocks in her Herd debut (all coming in the second quarter).
