Marshall University Athletics
Herd Men's Basketball to Host WKU
1/5/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME 16: WKU (10-5, 2-0 C-USA) at Marshall (11-4, 2-0 C-USA)
Saturday, Jan. 6 | 7 p.m.
Huntington, W.Va. | Cam Henderson Center
Stream| Radio | Marshall Game Notes | WKU Game Notes |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- After an extended break, the Marshall men's basketball team will return to action when it welcomes the WKU Hilltoppers on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.
Roger Twibell and Tim Doyle will be on the call for Stadium, while Steve Cotton and Charlie Hagley will call the game via radio.
HAVE YOU HERD
The Herd clinched a 78-65 victory against the La. Tech Bulldogs to mark the second consecutive season Marshall began the season 10-0 at home. The Herd did not accomplished that in consecutive seasons since doing so during the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons.
Junior guards Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks combined for 55 points. Elmore had his 50th consecutive game of scoring at least 10 points. Penava was held scoreless for the first time all season.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
WKU's bread and butter comes down to turnovers. The Hilltoppers average 7.7 steals per game, while it forces teams to make 15.20 turnovers per contest. WKU also thrives with its lack of mental errors, as its 14.9 fouls per game are 12th in the nation. With its 1.16 assist/turnover ratio, the Hilltoppers are No. 115 among all DI schools. Though WKU is one of the most efficient teams (49.4 percent from the floor), it does not take many three-pointers.
WHO TO KNOW
The Hilltoppers are led by Darius Thompson, Dwight Coleby and Justin Johnson. Thompson does a good job of finding Johnson, who is making 51.6 percent of his field goals. The front court monster that is Johnson and Coleby have combined for 17.6 rebounds per game and 10 double-doubles. Thompson's 4.8 assists per game are sixth in the conference, while he has an assist/turnover ratio of 2.67.
SERIES HISTORY
The series dates back to the 1943-44 season, in which WKU won, 39-36. The Herd has not dropped a game at home against the `Toppers since the 2003-04 season. As it stands, Marshall is on a four-game winning streak.
LAST TIME
Junior guard Jon Elmore's (Charleston, W.Va.) game-high 32 points helped stop a WKU second half surge and assisted in the Marshall men's basketball team's 84-79 victory against the Hilltoppers on Saturday at the E.A. Diddle Arena.
With the win, the Herd improved to 14-11 overall (7-5 Conference USA), while WKU fell to 12-13 overall (6-6 C-USA). It also marked Marshall's regular season sweep over WKU. Senior guard Austin Loop (South Webster, Ohio) joined the 1,000-point club and is No. 6 in C-USA history in made 3-pointers for a career.
Elmore's 32 points came from 10-of-16 field goals, 5-of-7 3-pointers and 7-of-8 free throws, and he added a career-high tying nine rebounds. Loop added 20 points and WKU's Que Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 17 points.
#BringOnTheHerd
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