Marshall University Athletics
Sunday, December 6
Huntington, W.Va.
1:00 PM
Marshall University
1-0
69
vs
58
Radford University
0-2
1
2
3
4
F
Radford
16
14
17
11
58
Marshall
15
19
15
20
69
Photo by: Adam Gue
Women’s Basketball Opens Season with Victory over Highlanders
12/6/2020 4:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wheeler led all scorers with 25 points
Final Stats (PDF)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall women's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season with a 69-58 win over the Radford Highlanders, Sunday in the Cam Henderson Center. Sophomore Savannah Wheeler tied her career-high with 25 points.
Marshall starts the year 1-0 while Radford drops to 0-2.
"I'm really proud of the team," head coach Tony Kemper said. "What they had to do was very difficult. The way this year is, you make a plan and that lasts for about 12 hours. And then you wad that plan up and say okay well let's make another plan. Usually by December 6th, you have played two scrimmages and about five games. This was our first time playing with a referee.
"But, I am really proud of them. Radford is a very good team, very well coached and they do not beat themselves. One of the best in their conference. This was a good first step and now we have to build."
Sophomore Alexis Johnson had a career day with 12 points and nine rebounds. Johnson shot 6-of-11 from the floor. Wheeler and Johnson were the only Herd players to finish in double-figures. Eight of the nine players for Marshall contributed on the scoreboard. Junior Lorelei Roper had nine points, eight boards and two steals. Freshman Ksenija Mitric scored eight points and added three assists. Senior Kristen Mayo netted seven points, grabbed six rebounds, dished three assists and tallied three steals. Redshirt sophomore Mahogany Matthews, in her first action since March 6, 2019, recorded two blocks coming off the bench.
Marshall committed just nine turnovers and forced 19.
The Herd started the game slowly as Radford jumped out to the early lead, up 11-4 with 3:36 left in the first. However, five-straight points from Wheeler brought the Herd back within four. Marshall finished the quarter on an 11-3 run over the final three minutes and trailed by one, 16-15, at the break.
The Herd took its first lead of the game at the 9:04 mark in the second quarter on a three from Mitric. Marshall held the lead through the remainder of the first half, including building up to an 11-point lead, 32-21, on a jumper from Johnson with four minutes left. Radford scored the final two baskets of the half, reducing the Herd lead to four at the halftime break.
Both teams battled in the third quarter with three ties and two lead changes. The Highlanders tied the game with 42 seconds left and then Marshall took back the lead as Mayo hit a jumper with three seconds before the buzzer. The Herd led 49-47 at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter began as another back-and-forth tilt. Marshall tied the score at 55-55 on a Mayo free throw at the 5:48 mark. The Herd then took the lead on a layup from Roper and never looked back. Matthews hit a layup with 3:23 to go, building Marshall's lead to four, and then Radford began to foul. The Herd hit 8 of its 10 free throws over the final three minutes and held the Highlanders to just one point over the same span. Matthews rejected the final shot of the contest.
Marshall hits the road for its next two contests. First, at No. 11 Kentucky on Wednesday March 9 at 7 p.m. Then the Herd travels to St. Bonaventure on Dec. 13. Marshall's final non-conference game is set for Dec. 17 against Morehead State in the Cam Henderson Center.
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!
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall women's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season with a 69-58 win over the Radford Highlanders, Sunday in the Cam Henderson Center. Sophomore Savannah Wheeler tied her career-high with 25 points.
Marshall starts the year 1-0 while Radford drops to 0-2.
"I'm really proud of the team," head coach Tony Kemper said. "What they had to do was very difficult. The way this year is, you make a plan and that lasts for about 12 hours. And then you wad that plan up and say okay well let's make another plan. Usually by December 6th, you have played two scrimmages and about five games. This was our first time playing with a referee.
"But, I am really proud of them. Radford is a very good team, very well coached and they do not beat themselves. One of the best in their conference. This was a good first step and now we have to build."
Sophomore Alexis Johnson had a career day with 12 points and nine rebounds. Johnson shot 6-of-11 from the floor. Wheeler and Johnson were the only Herd players to finish in double-figures. Eight of the nine players for Marshall contributed on the scoreboard. Junior Lorelei Roper had nine points, eight boards and two steals. Freshman Ksenija Mitric scored eight points and added three assists. Senior Kristen Mayo netted seven points, grabbed six rebounds, dished three assists and tallied three steals. Redshirt sophomore Mahogany Matthews, in her first action since March 6, 2019, recorded two blocks coming off the bench.
Marshall committed just nine turnovers and forced 19.
The Herd started the game slowly as Radford jumped out to the early lead, up 11-4 with 3:36 left in the first. However, five-straight points from Wheeler brought the Herd back within four. Marshall finished the quarter on an 11-3 run over the final three minutes and trailed by one, 16-15, at the break.
The Herd took its first lead of the game at the 9:04 mark in the second quarter on a three from Mitric. Marshall held the lead through the remainder of the first half, including building up to an 11-point lead, 32-21, on a jumper from Johnson with four minutes left. Radford scored the final two baskets of the half, reducing the Herd lead to four at the halftime break.
Both teams battled in the third quarter with three ties and two lead changes. The Highlanders tied the game with 42 seconds left and then Marshall took back the lead as Mayo hit a jumper with three seconds before the buzzer. The Herd led 49-47 at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter began as another back-and-forth tilt. Marshall tied the score at 55-55 on a Mayo free throw at the 5:48 mark. The Herd then took the lead on a layup from Roper and never looked back. Matthews hit a layup with 3:23 to go, building Marshall's lead to four, and then Radford began to foul. The Herd hit 8 of its 10 free throws over the final three minutes and held the Highlanders to just one point over the same span. Matthews rejected the final shot of the contest.
Marshall hits the road for its next two contests. First, at No. 11 Kentucky on Wednesday March 9 at 7 p.m. Then the Herd travels to St. Bonaventure on Dec. 13. Marshall's final non-conference game is set for Dec. 17 against Morehead State in the Cam Henderson Center.
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!
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
RAD
MAR
FG%
.370
.385
3FG%
.357
.208
FT%
.615
.538
RB
40
42
TO
19
9
STL
2
10
Game Leaders
Pts
25
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
8
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
G
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