Marshall University Athletics
Monday, December 20
Las Vegas, Nev.
8 PM ET/5 PM PT
Marshall University
-54,00 CUSA
79
vs
58
Oakland
4-7,2-2Horizon
1
2
3
4
F
Marshall
17
20
21
21
79
Oakland
22
16
6
14
58
Wheeler Lights up the Las Vegas Night in Win Over Oakland
12/21/2021 12:14:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Wheeler sets career-high with 40 points
Game Book (PDF)
Coach Kemper Postgame Presser Video
LAS VEGAS – Sophomore Savannah Wheeler lit up the scoreboard with a career-high 40 points as the Marshall women's basketball team powered its way to a 79-58 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at the South Point Arena. Wheeler also reached 900 points for her career.
The Thundering Herd improved to 5-4 while Oakland fell to 4-7.
Wheeler's 40 points was the first 40-point game by a Herd player since Hall of Famer Kristina Behnfeldt scored 40 against Ohio on Feb. 10, 1999.
"I have been on them hard and it was good to get a win," Herd head coach Tony Kemper said. "Struggling for a couple weeks, and boy we needed that tonight. I thought our bench was fantastic tonight. They were loud and having a lot of fun over there and that is needed to.
"Obviously Savannah (Wheeler) was special. I think, watching her, and if you watched her in this game, she has gotten a bunch of charges called on her lately and you watched her grow tonight. A bunch of jump stops and starting to play different paces, but that is how you go 14-for-18 from the field and really get after somebody. It was certainly fun to watch.
"But I liked our passion. We were excited to play. You could see that the entire time."
Wheeler did most of her damage inside of the three-point line. The Catlettsburg, Ky., native went 14-of-18 from the field and was 2-of-4 from three-point range. Wheeler also drew seven fouls and converted 10-of-12 from the free throw line. She added five assists, four steals and four rebounds for an all-around great performance.
Wheeler came into the contest with 867 points in her career, and now has 907. She reached double-figures for the 12th-straight game and for the 48th time in her 58 career games. It was also her third time with 30 or more points. She surpassed her old career-high of 35 points set against Old Dominion on Feb. 6, 2021. Wheeler also moved up the all-time charts as she is now 13th all-time with 98 made three-pointers. Wheeler moved ahead of Tammy Wiggins for eighth all-time in made free throws with 279, and is 15th in free throws attempted with 329. She remains the Herd's all-time leader in career free throw percentage (84.8-percent).
Graduate student Kennedi Colclough was hustling all over the court causing issues in the interior for Oakland and finished with 14 points, four boards, two steals and one block. Junior Lorelei Roper led the team on the glass with 11 rebounds including six on the offensive side. It was her second game of the season in double-digits and the fourth of her career. Roper scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, and continued her shot-block streak to eight-straight games with a rejection in the fourth quarter.
Freshman CC Mays had six points and one steal in her return to the lineup after missing the last two due to injury. Senior Brianah Ferby scored four points with a couple of late layups that helped continue to push the Herd further ahead late in the game. She also pulled down five boards, had one assist and one steal.
Senior Aaliyah Dunham tallied three assists including a nearly 70-foot pass through full-court pressure to a wide-open Wheeler for a basket. Dunham grabbed a season-high six boards, scored two points, had one steal and drew five fouls. Wheeler and Dunham combined to draw 12 of the 17 fouls called against Oakland.
Sophomore Alexis Johnson and redshirt freshman Christiana McLean scored two points each. Freshman Aarionna Redman had one point and fellow freshman Sarah Liberatore had one rebound.
The Herd shot 46.2-percent from the field and hit 81-percent from the line. Marshall's defense held the Golden Grizzlies to 35-percent from the field and 20.8-percent from three. The Herd also held Oakland's star guard Khalaijah Dean, who was averaging over 20 points a game, to just four.
The two teams came out in the first quarter trading baskets and leads. There were five ties and six lead changes in the period. Oakland finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 22-17 lead. Wheeler began her day with seven points in the first. Colclough scored six points and had one steal. Oakland shot 64.3-percent (9-of-14) from the field and 3-of-5 (60-percent) from the beyond the arc.
Wheeler began to take charge in the second quarter. The Herd got back out in front by three with just under eight minutes remaining. However, Oakland went on a 10-0 run to take a 7-point lead, 32-25. The Golden Grizzlies pushed the lead to eight, 34-26, at the 3:13 mark. Wheeler scored nine points and Colclough had two points over the final three minutes, and pulled the deficit down to one, 38-37, by the end of the half. Wheeler scored 12 of the Herd's 20 points in the second and Roper scored six on 3-of-4 shooting. Oakland shot just 29.4-percent from the floor, and the Herd outscored the Golden Grizzlies 20-16.
Marshall took off in the third quarter, offensively and defensively. The Herd outscored Oakland 21-6 to take a 14-point lead, 58-44. Wheeler scored the first six points of the third quarter, as the Golden Grizzlies did not score until a bucket from Kayla Luchenbach, four minutes and 37 seconds into the period. Marshall pushed its lead to double-digits on a basket from in the paint by Wheeler following an Oakland turnover, 50-40. The Golden Grizzlies were 1-of-10 from the floor, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Oakland converted just 4-of-8 as well from the line. Marshall shot 52.9-percent from the floor as Wheeler scored 12 more points and Colclough had four as well as a block.
Oakland was able to score 14 points in the fourth, but Marshall maintained its dominating performance to finish the game. The Golden Grizzlies closed the gap to 13 points, 67-54, after two free throws with 4:14 to go. Marshall rolled out a 12-0 run to put away Oakland for good. Wheeler surpassed her old career-high scoring on a layup and drawing the foul with 2:02 to go. She then hit the free throw to record her 900th career point. With 1:22 remaining, it was déjà vu all over again as Wheeler drove to the basket, sank the layup and drew the foul once again. She converted the free throw and reached 40 points. Coach Kemper subbed in Liberatore for Wheeler who received a great ovation from the crowd and was immediately mugged by her teammates on the bench.
The Herd pushed its lead out to 25 with 55-seconds to go after McLean drove the lane, drew the foul, and drained both free throws. Oakland managed to score four more points in the closing moments.
Marshall outscored Oakland 42-20 in the second half, shooting 50-percent from the floor. The defense held Oakland to hitting just 24.1-percent from the field and 0-for-13 from outside.
The Herd ends the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, as well as non-conference play, on a high note. Marshall was scheduled to play the Akron Zips on Tuesday, however Akron had to withdraw from the tournament due to COVID-19 issues within the program. The Herd will get a short break over the holiday before getting into Conference USA action. Marshall returns to the Cam Henderson Center on Dec. 30 against Louisiana Tech at 6 p.m. The Herd then plays Southern Miss on Jan. 1, with tip in the Cam set for 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!
Coach Kemper Postgame Presser Video
LAS VEGAS – Sophomore Savannah Wheeler lit up the scoreboard with a career-high 40 points as the Marshall women's basketball team powered its way to a 79-58 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at the South Point Arena. Wheeler also reached 900 points for her career.
The Thundering Herd improved to 5-4 while Oakland fell to 4-7.
Wheeler's 40 points was the first 40-point game by a Herd player since Hall of Famer Kristina Behnfeldt scored 40 against Ohio on Feb. 10, 1999.
"I have been on them hard and it was good to get a win," Herd head coach Tony Kemper said. "Struggling for a couple weeks, and boy we needed that tonight. I thought our bench was fantastic tonight. They were loud and having a lot of fun over there and that is needed to.
"Obviously Savannah (Wheeler) was special. I think, watching her, and if you watched her in this game, she has gotten a bunch of charges called on her lately and you watched her grow tonight. A bunch of jump stops and starting to play different paces, but that is how you go 14-for-18 from the field and really get after somebody. It was certainly fun to watch.
"But I liked our passion. We were excited to play. You could see that the entire time."
Wheeler did most of her damage inside of the three-point line. The Catlettsburg, Ky., native went 14-of-18 from the field and was 2-of-4 from three-point range. Wheeler also drew seven fouls and converted 10-of-12 from the free throw line. She added five assists, four steals and four rebounds for an all-around great performance.
Wheeler came into the contest with 867 points in her career, and now has 907. She reached double-figures for the 12th-straight game and for the 48th time in her 58 career games. It was also her third time with 30 or more points. She surpassed her old career-high of 35 points set against Old Dominion on Feb. 6, 2021. Wheeler also moved up the all-time charts as she is now 13th all-time with 98 made three-pointers. Wheeler moved ahead of Tammy Wiggins for eighth all-time in made free throws with 279, and is 15th in free throws attempted with 329. She remains the Herd's all-time leader in career free throw percentage (84.8-percent).
Graduate student Kennedi Colclough was hustling all over the court causing issues in the interior for Oakland and finished with 14 points, four boards, two steals and one block. Junior Lorelei Roper led the team on the glass with 11 rebounds including six on the offensive side. It was her second game of the season in double-digits and the fourth of her career. Roper scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, and continued her shot-block streak to eight-straight games with a rejection in the fourth quarter.
Freshman CC Mays had six points and one steal in her return to the lineup after missing the last two due to injury. Senior Brianah Ferby scored four points with a couple of late layups that helped continue to push the Herd further ahead late in the game. She also pulled down five boards, had one assist and one steal.
Senior Aaliyah Dunham tallied three assists including a nearly 70-foot pass through full-court pressure to a wide-open Wheeler for a basket. Dunham grabbed a season-high six boards, scored two points, had one steal and drew five fouls. Wheeler and Dunham combined to draw 12 of the 17 fouls called against Oakland.
Sophomore Alexis Johnson and redshirt freshman Christiana McLean scored two points each. Freshman Aarionna Redman had one point and fellow freshman Sarah Liberatore had one rebound.
The Herd shot 46.2-percent from the field and hit 81-percent from the line. Marshall's defense held the Golden Grizzlies to 35-percent from the field and 20.8-percent from three. The Herd also held Oakland's star guard Khalaijah Dean, who was averaging over 20 points a game, to just four.
The two teams came out in the first quarter trading baskets and leads. There were five ties and six lead changes in the period. Oakland finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 22-17 lead. Wheeler began her day with seven points in the first. Colclough scored six points and had one steal. Oakland shot 64.3-percent (9-of-14) from the field and 3-of-5 (60-percent) from the beyond the arc.
Wheeler began to take charge in the second quarter. The Herd got back out in front by three with just under eight minutes remaining. However, Oakland went on a 10-0 run to take a 7-point lead, 32-25. The Golden Grizzlies pushed the lead to eight, 34-26, at the 3:13 mark. Wheeler scored nine points and Colclough had two points over the final three minutes, and pulled the deficit down to one, 38-37, by the end of the half. Wheeler scored 12 of the Herd's 20 points in the second and Roper scored six on 3-of-4 shooting. Oakland shot just 29.4-percent from the floor, and the Herd outscored the Golden Grizzlies 20-16.
Marshall took off in the third quarter, offensively and defensively. The Herd outscored Oakland 21-6 to take a 14-point lead, 58-44. Wheeler scored the first six points of the third quarter, as the Golden Grizzlies did not score until a bucket from Kayla Luchenbach, four minutes and 37 seconds into the period. Marshall pushed its lead to double-digits on a basket from in the paint by Wheeler following an Oakland turnover, 50-40. The Golden Grizzlies were 1-of-10 from the floor, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Oakland converted just 4-of-8 as well from the line. Marshall shot 52.9-percent from the floor as Wheeler scored 12 more points and Colclough had four as well as a block.
Oakland was able to score 14 points in the fourth, but Marshall maintained its dominating performance to finish the game. The Golden Grizzlies closed the gap to 13 points, 67-54, after two free throws with 4:14 to go. Marshall rolled out a 12-0 run to put away Oakland for good. Wheeler surpassed her old career-high scoring on a layup and drawing the foul with 2:02 to go. She then hit the free throw to record her 900th career point. With 1:22 remaining, it was déjà vu all over again as Wheeler drove to the basket, sank the layup and drew the foul once again. She converted the free throw and reached 40 points. Coach Kemper subbed in Liberatore for Wheeler who received a great ovation from the crowd and was immediately mugged by her teammates on the bench.
The Herd pushed its lead out to 25 with 55-seconds to go after McLean drove the lane, drew the foul, and drained both free throws. Oakland managed to score four more points in the closing moments.
Marshall outscored Oakland 42-20 in the second half, shooting 50-percent from the floor. The defense held Oakland to hitting just 24.1-percent from the field and 0-for-13 from outside.
The Herd ends the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, as well as non-conference play, on a high note. Marshall was scheduled to play the Akron Zips on Tuesday, however Akron had to withdraw from the tournament due to COVID-19 issues within the program. The Herd will get a short break over the holiday before getting into Conference USA action. Marshall returns to the Cam Henderson Center on Dec. 30 against Louisiana Tech at 6 p.m. The Herd then plays Southern Miss on Jan. 1, with tip in the Cam set for 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!
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
Marsh
Oak
FG%
.462
.350
3FG%
.200
.208
FT%
.810
.647
RB
40
39
TO
8
17
STL
9
5
Game Leaders
Pts
40
FGM
14
3FGM
2
FTM
10
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F/G
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's BasketballG
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