Marshall University Athletics
Thursday, January 30
Huntington, W.Va.
6:00 PM
Marshall University
vs
FIU
Paige Shy
Panthers Invade the Henderson Center on Thursday
1/29/2020 4:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Game tips at 6 p.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall women's basketball team (7-11 overall, 2-5 Conference USA) will host FIU (4-15, 1-7) on Thursday. Tip time at the Cam Henderson Center is set for 6 p.m.
Game Details
Live Stats
Live Video
Marshall Radio
Game Notes
Series History: 12th all-time meeting – WKU leads 8-3
Last Meeting: March 7, 2019 in Huntington – Marshall won 87-42
Scouting the Panthers
FIU comes into Thursday's game following a 64-50 home loss to Charlotte last Saturday. The Panthers get 10.9 points per game from Jiselle Thomas and 7.3 rebounds from Chelsea Guimaraes. Bre'Osha Scott averages 1.2 assists as well. The top long-distance threat, percentage-wise, on the team is Guimaraes (44.4 percent). However, Fujika Nimmo and Diene Diane have combined to make 47 triples this season. Scott is also the top free throw shooter at 73.9 percent.
FIU was picked last in the league's preseason poll, while Marshall was tabbed 11th.
FIU is second in C-USA in defensive rebounding percentage (70.5 percent), but is last in scoring offense (52.3), scoring margin (-13.9), free throw percentage (60.3), field goal percentage (36.3), rebounding offense (36.3), rebounding margin (-4.2), assists (9.3), turnover margin (-5.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.5), offensive rebounds (8.2) and offensive rebounding percentage (22.2).
Last Time Out: Jan. 25 vs. WKU (L, 74-65)
Dee Givens and Raneem Elgedawy both posted double-doubles as the visiting WKU women's basketball team scored 29 fourth-quarter points en route to a 74-65 win over Marshall Saturday at the Cam Henderson Center.
The win vaulted WKU to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Conference USA, while Marshall dropped to 7-11 and 2-5 in the league.
Givens, who had 18 points in the game's first 14 and a half minutes, finished with 24 and 11 rebounds to go with three steals. Elgedawy netted 19 points and 13 boards to lead a Hilltopper rebounding effort that outpaced the home team by 15 (44-29). Whitney Creech added 15 points and seven assists, while Meral Abdelgawad tallied 12 points and three steals.
Marshall received 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds from Taylor Pearson and Kristen Mayo added 17 points. Princess Clemons had a good all-around game with a season-high 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. The assist and steal totals represented career-highs for the Chester, Pennsylvania native.
Marshall motored to a six-point lead (58-52) on a Mayo triple with 6:24 left in the game, but WKU rallied to score 22 of the contest's last 29 points to score the road victory.
Twenty of the Tops' 44 boards came on the offensive end and propelled the visitors to a 16-3 advantage on second chance points. Marshall also committed 20 turnovers, which WKU cashed in for 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.
WKU also held significant advantages on points in the paint (40-20) and fast break points (10-2).
"I am just disappointed in the outcome," said Marshall head coach Tony Kemper. "We definitely should have had a shot to win the game. That should not have been a nine-point game. We were really just sloppy with the ball and that's a credit to how (the Hilltoppers) play. They take you out of your offense and certainly did that to us. It's disappointing."
FIU Visits
The Thundering Herd will look to get back into the C-USA win column against the Panthers on Thursday. After dropping the first two games in the series, Marshall has won eight of the last nine meetings, including an 87-42 romp on Senior Day last season (March 7, 2019). In that game, Taylor Porter drained a school-record 10 3-pointers en route to a career-high 30 points.
Pearson's Resurgence
Marshall's Taylor Pearson has averaged 13.8 points over her last four games. That figure is up from her 4.7 per game clip over the previous six games.
Season/Career-Highs
Princess Clemons had an impressive performance against WKU on Saturday. Against the Lady Tops, she racked up career-highs in minutes (33) and steals (four) and tied her all-time Herd best with four assists.
Wheeler Attacks
Since entering the starting lineup at North Texas on January 4, Savannah Wheeler has gotten to the free throw line 42 times in those last six games (7.0 per game), making 37 for 88 percent. In her previous 12 games, she got to the charity stripe just 38 times (3.2 per contest).
Leading and Leading Late
Marshall is 7-1 this season when leading at the half and 6-1 when leading with five minutes left in regulation. Since the beginning of last season, the Thundering Herd is 20-6 when leading at the break and 20-3 when leading at the five-minute mark.
Hitting the Glass, Controlling the Paint
The Thundering Herd is 14-4 since the start of last season when it outrebounds the opposition and 16-3 when it scores more in the paint.
Block Party
Senior Ashley Saintigene has returned to the Herd lineup with a vengeance this season on the defensive side. The senior has swatted 45 shots in 16 games to start the year. She has had two or more in 14 contests. Her season-high thus far is five in a win over Coppin State (11/19). Saintigene is currently 12th in the NCAA in blocks per game (2.81). As a team, Marshall is 16th in the country in blocks per game (5.2).
The Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., native is fourth all-time in program history in blocked shots with 126 and her 45 this season puts her sixth in Marshall's single-season records. She became the seventh player to hit the century mark with her third and final block at Evansville. Saintigene had an excellent start to her career with 42 blocks (1.45 per game) in her freshman season, seventh-most in Marshall history. She tallied just 22 her sophomore season as she only played in 12 games (1.83 per game) after suffering an injury. Saintigene came back to the Herd briefly in 2018-19 playing in just nine games before re-aggravating the injury, but still came away with 17 more swats (1.89 per game). The Herd record for most in a season is 117 by Sharon Deal in 1988-89. Deal averaged 4.2 per game which is still a Southern Conference record. Deal is also Marshall's all-time leader with 188 in a career that spanned just two seasons (1987-89).
Marshall's Single-Season Blocks Leaders
1. 117 - Sharon Deal - 1988-89
2. 71 - Sharon Deal - 1987-88
3. 54 - Chelsey Romero - 2013-14
54 - Talequia Hamilton - 2016-17
5. 49 - Tynikki Crook - 2008-09
6. 45 - Ashley Saintigene - 2019-20
7. 43 - Talequia Hamilton - 2017-18
8. 42 - Ashley Saintigene - 2016-17
9. 40 - Modupe Ishola - 2006-07
40 - Tynikki Crook - 2009-10
40 - Leandra King - 2012-13
40 - Chukwuka Ezeigbo - 2013-14
Marshall's Career Blocks Leaders
1. 188 - Sharon Deal (1987-89)
2. 153 - Tynikki Crook (2007-11)
3. 135 - Talequia Hamilton (2015-18)
4. 126 - Ashley Saintigene (2016-Pres.)
5. 119 - Modupe Ishola (2003-07)
119 - Chelsey Romero (2013-16)
7. 115 - Chukwuka Ezeigbo (2011-15)
8. 91 - Chris McClurkin (1984-88)
9. 87 - Lisa Pruner (1980-84)
10. 71 - Tammy Simms (1986-87)
**Khadaijia Brooks currently has 68.**
Marshall's Career Field Goal Percentage Leaders (min. 200 attempts)
1. Modupe Ishola (57.4, 448-781), 2003-07
2. Chukwuka Eziegbo (55.4, 357-644), 2011-15
3. Kim Shepherd (52.2, 190-364), 1983-1985
4. Talequia Hamilton (50.9, 416-818), 2015-18
5. Chris McClurkin (50.8, 291-573), 1984-88
6. Tammy Simms (50.7, 292-576), 1986-88
7. Karen Pelphrey (50.5, 1175-2328), 1982-86
8. Ashley Saintigene (50.2, 160-319), 2016-Pres.
9. Kristina Behnfeldt (49.5, 664-1341), 1995-99
10. Jenette Reed (49.2, 126-256), 1989-93
Marshall's Career Free Throw Percentage Leaders (min. 100 attempts)
1. Taylor Porter (83.7, 144-172), 2015-19
2. Kristina Behnfeldt (82.0, 728-888), 1995-99
3. Shayna Gore (81.2, 336-411), 2015-19
4. Jenny Leavitt (80.7, 205-254), 1985-89
5. Kristen Mayo (80.3, 98-122), 2017-Pres.
6. Lee Ann Parsley (79.5, 263-331), 1986-90
7. Reshundra Smiley (79.4, 85-107), 2004-06
8. Karen Pelphrey (78.4, 396-505), 1982-86
9. Kim Lewis (77.8, 161-207), 1984-88
10. Catie Knable (76.1, 239-314), 2000-04
Ranked in the NCAA
Marshall is ranked in the top 100 in the NCAA in several categories.
16th in blocks per game - 5.2
27th in field goal percentage defense - 35.3%
31st in total blocks - 93
50th in fewest turnovers - 268 (leads C-USA)
72nd in 3-point field goals per game - 7.3
75th in rebounds per game - 40.4
93rd in fewest turnovers per game - 14.9
99th in 3-point field goals made - 132
Ashley Saintigene is 12th in blocks per game (2.81)
Ashley Saintigene is 22nd in total blocks (45)
Savannah Wheeler is 33rd in free throw percentage (85.0)
Notable Active Herd Streaks: (last game without stat in parentheses)
Taylor Pearson 51-straight games with a rebound (2/17/18 at WKU)
Khadaijia Brooks 42-straight games with a point (12/4/18 at Wisconsin)
Taylor Pearson 40-straight games with a point (12/4/18 at Wisconsin)
Kristen Mayo 39-straight games with a point (12/18/18 at Clemson)
Khadaijia Brooks 33-straight starts (1/17/19 at FAU)
A Great Start
Freshman Savannah Wheeler got off to a great beginning to her Marshall career scoring 18 points in her collegiate debut against Kentucky Christian, then adding 19 more versus Norfolk State. Wheeler was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week after scoring 37 combined points on 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) shooting from the field and 7-of-10 (70 percent) from three. She also tallied four steals against KCU. She is at 225 points for the season, averaging 12.5 per game. She got the first start of her career at North Texas (1/4) and responded by scoring 17 points. For the season, she is averaging 27.7 minutes per contest.
Defensive Struggle
The 98 combined points between Charlotte and Marshall on January 16 were the fewest in a Thundering Herd game since February 7, 2015 when North Texas edged Marshall 45-42 in Denton.
Perfection
Marshall went a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line at Old Dominion on January 18. The last time the Thundering Herd made more in a game without a miss was February 6, 2016 when it went 18-for-18 in an 80-76 win at UTSA.
Up Next
Marshall will host Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 1 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall women's basketball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdWBB, Facebook at Marshall University Basketball and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Game Details
Live Stats
Live Video
Marshall Radio
Game Notes
Series History: 12th all-time meeting – WKU leads 8-3
Last Meeting: March 7, 2019 in Huntington – Marshall won 87-42
Scouting the Panthers
FIU comes into Thursday's game following a 64-50 home loss to Charlotte last Saturday. The Panthers get 10.9 points per game from Jiselle Thomas and 7.3 rebounds from Chelsea Guimaraes. Bre'Osha Scott averages 1.2 assists as well. The top long-distance threat, percentage-wise, on the team is Guimaraes (44.4 percent). However, Fujika Nimmo and Diene Diane have combined to make 47 triples this season. Scott is also the top free throw shooter at 73.9 percent.
FIU was picked last in the league's preseason poll, while Marshall was tabbed 11th.
FIU is second in C-USA in defensive rebounding percentage (70.5 percent), but is last in scoring offense (52.3), scoring margin (-13.9), free throw percentage (60.3), field goal percentage (36.3), rebounding offense (36.3), rebounding margin (-4.2), assists (9.3), turnover margin (-5.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.5), offensive rebounds (8.2) and offensive rebounding percentage (22.2).
Last Time Out: Jan. 25 vs. WKU (L, 74-65)
Dee Givens and Raneem Elgedawy both posted double-doubles as the visiting WKU women's basketball team scored 29 fourth-quarter points en route to a 74-65 win over Marshall Saturday at the Cam Henderson Center.
The win vaulted WKU to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Conference USA, while Marshall dropped to 7-11 and 2-5 in the league.
Givens, who had 18 points in the game's first 14 and a half minutes, finished with 24 and 11 rebounds to go with three steals. Elgedawy netted 19 points and 13 boards to lead a Hilltopper rebounding effort that outpaced the home team by 15 (44-29). Whitney Creech added 15 points and seven assists, while Meral Abdelgawad tallied 12 points and three steals.
Marshall received 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds from Taylor Pearson and Kristen Mayo added 17 points. Princess Clemons had a good all-around game with a season-high 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. The assist and steal totals represented career-highs for the Chester, Pennsylvania native.
Marshall motored to a six-point lead (58-52) on a Mayo triple with 6:24 left in the game, but WKU rallied to score 22 of the contest's last 29 points to score the road victory.
Twenty of the Tops' 44 boards came on the offensive end and propelled the visitors to a 16-3 advantage on second chance points. Marshall also committed 20 turnovers, which WKU cashed in for 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.
WKU also held significant advantages on points in the paint (40-20) and fast break points (10-2).
"I am just disappointed in the outcome," said Marshall head coach Tony Kemper. "We definitely should have had a shot to win the game. That should not have been a nine-point game. We were really just sloppy with the ball and that's a credit to how (the Hilltoppers) play. They take you out of your offense and certainly did that to us. It's disappointing."
FIU Visits
The Thundering Herd will look to get back into the C-USA win column against the Panthers on Thursday. After dropping the first two games in the series, Marshall has won eight of the last nine meetings, including an 87-42 romp on Senior Day last season (March 7, 2019). In that game, Taylor Porter drained a school-record 10 3-pointers en route to a career-high 30 points.
Pearson's Resurgence
Marshall's Taylor Pearson has averaged 13.8 points over her last four games. That figure is up from her 4.7 per game clip over the previous six games.
Season/Career-Highs
Princess Clemons had an impressive performance against WKU on Saturday. Against the Lady Tops, she racked up career-highs in minutes (33) and steals (four) and tied her all-time Herd best with four assists.
Wheeler Attacks
Since entering the starting lineup at North Texas on January 4, Savannah Wheeler has gotten to the free throw line 42 times in those last six games (7.0 per game), making 37 for 88 percent. In her previous 12 games, she got to the charity stripe just 38 times (3.2 per contest).
Leading and Leading Late
Marshall is 7-1 this season when leading at the half and 6-1 when leading with five minutes left in regulation. Since the beginning of last season, the Thundering Herd is 20-6 when leading at the break and 20-3 when leading at the five-minute mark.
Hitting the Glass, Controlling the Paint
The Thundering Herd is 14-4 since the start of last season when it outrebounds the opposition and 16-3 when it scores more in the paint.
Block Party
Senior Ashley Saintigene has returned to the Herd lineup with a vengeance this season on the defensive side. The senior has swatted 45 shots in 16 games to start the year. She has had two or more in 14 contests. Her season-high thus far is five in a win over Coppin State (11/19). Saintigene is currently 12th in the NCAA in blocks per game (2.81). As a team, Marshall is 16th in the country in blocks per game (5.2).
The Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., native is fourth all-time in program history in blocked shots with 126 and her 45 this season puts her sixth in Marshall's single-season records. She became the seventh player to hit the century mark with her third and final block at Evansville. Saintigene had an excellent start to her career with 42 blocks (1.45 per game) in her freshman season, seventh-most in Marshall history. She tallied just 22 her sophomore season as she only played in 12 games (1.83 per game) after suffering an injury. Saintigene came back to the Herd briefly in 2018-19 playing in just nine games before re-aggravating the injury, but still came away with 17 more swats (1.89 per game). The Herd record for most in a season is 117 by Sharon Deal in 1988-89. Deal averaged 4.2 per game which is still a Southern Conference record. Deal is also Marshall's all-time leader with 188 in a career that spanned just two seasons (1987-89).
Marshall's Single-Season Blocks Leaders
1. 117 - Sharon Deal - 1988-89
2. 71 - Sharon Deal - 1987-88
3. 54 - Chelsey Romero - 2013-14
54 - Talequia Hamilton - 2016-17
5. 49 - Tynikki Crook - 2008-09
6. 45 - Ashley Saintigene - 2019-20
7. 43 - Talequia Hamilton - 2017-18
8. 42 - Ashley Saintigene - 2016-17
9. 40 - Modupe Ishola - 2006-07
40 - Tynikki Crook - 2009-10
40 - Leandra King - 2012-13
40 - Chukwuka Ezeigbo - 2013-14
Marshall's Career Blocks Leaders
1. 188 - Sharon Deal (1987-89)
2. 153 - Tynikki Crook (2007-11)
3. 135 - Talequia Hamilton (2015-18)
4. 126 - Ashley Saintigene (2016-Pres.)
5. 119 - Modupe Ishola (2003-07)
119 - Chelsey Romero (2013-16)
7. 115 - Chukwuka Ezeigbo (2011-15)
8. 91 - Chris McClurkin (1984-88)
9. 87 - Lisa Pruner (1980-84)
10. 71 - Tammy Simms (1986-87)
**Khadaijia Brooks currently has 68.**
Marshall's Career Field Goal Percentage Leaders (min. 200 attempts)
1. Modupe Ishola (57.4, 448-781), 2003-07
2. Chukwuka Eziegbo (55.4, 357-644), 2011-15
3. Kim Shepherd (52.2, 190-364), 1983-1985
4. Talequia Hamilton (50.9, 416-818), 2015-18
5. Chris McClurkin (50.8, 291-573), 1984-88
6. Tammy Simms (50.7, 292-576), 1986-88
7. Karen Pelphrey (50.5, 1175-2328), 1982-86
8. Ashley Saintigene (50.2, 160-319), 2016-Pres.
9. Kristina Behnfeldt (49.5, 664-1341), 1995-99
10. Jenette Reed (49.2, 126-256), 1989-93
Marshall's Career Free Throw Percentage Leaders (min. 100 attempts)
1. Taylor Porter (83.7, 144-172), 2015-19
2. Kristina Behnfeldt (82.0, 728-888), 1995-99
3. Shayna Gore (81.2, 336-411), 2015-19
4. Jenny Leavitt (80.7, 205-254), 1985-89
5. Kristen Mayo (80.3, 98-122), 2017-Pres.
6. Lee Ann Parsley (79.5, 263-331), 1986-90
7. Reshundra Smiley (79.4, 85-107), 2004-06
8. Karen Pelphrey (78.4, 396-505), 1982-86
9. Kim Lewis (77.8, 161-207), 1984-88
10. Catie Knable (76.1, 239-314), 2000-04
Ranked in the NCAA
Marshall is ranked in the top 100 in the NCAA in several categories.
16th in blocks per game - 5.2
27th in field goal percentage defense - 35.3%
31st in total blocks - 93
50th in fewest turnovers - 268 (leads C-USA)
72nd in 3-point field goals per game - 7.3
75th in rebounds per game - 40.4
93rd in fewest turnovers per game - 14.9
99th in 3-point field goals made - 132
Ashley Saintigene is 12th in blocks per game (2.81)
Ashley Saintigene is 22nd in total blocks (45)
Savannah Wheeler is 33rd in free throw percentage (85.0)
Notable Active Herd Streaks: (last game without stat in parentheses)
Taylor Pearson 51-straight games with a rebound (2/17/18 at WKU)
Khadaijia Brooks 42-straight games with a point (12/4/18 at Wisconsin)
Taylor Pearson 40-straight games with a point (12/4/18 at Wisconsin)
Kristen Mayo 39-straight games with a point (12/18/18 at Clemson)
Khadaijia Brooks 33-straight starts (1/17/19 at FAU)
A Great Start
Freshman Savannah Wheeler got off to a great beginning to her Marshall career scoring 18 points in her collegiate debut against Kentucky Christian, then adding 19 more versus Norfolk State. Wheeler was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week after scoring 37 combined points on 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) shooting from the field and 7-of-10 (70 percent) from three. She also tallied four steals against KCU. She is at 225 points for the season, averaging 12.5 per game. She got the first start of her career at North Texas (1/4) and responded by scoring 17 points. For the season, she is averaging 27.7 minutes per contest.
Defensive Struggle
The 98 combined points between Charlotte and Marshall on January 16 were the fewest in a Thundering Herd game since February 7, 2015 when North Texas edged Marshall 45-42 in Denton.
Perfection
Marshall went a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line at Old Dominion on January 18. The last time the Thundering Herd made more in a game without a miss was February 6, 2016 when it went 18-for-18 in an 80-76 win at UTSA.
Up Next
Marshall will host Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 1 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall women's basketball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdWBB, Facebook at Marshall University Basketball and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Players Mentioned
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