Marshall University Athletics
Thursday, March 4
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
7:00 PM EST/6:00 PM CST
Marshall University
-89,78 CUSA
72
at
49
Middle Tennessee
-137,114 CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Marshall
20
23
16
13
72
Middle Tennessee
11
14
10
14
49
Savannah Wheeler
Marshall Routs Middle Tennessee, 72-49
3/4/2021 10:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Thundering Herd wins wire-to-wire in Murfreesboro
FINAL STATS
KEMPER'S POSTGAME COMMENTS
MURFREESBORO, Tn. – Savannah Wheeler scored a game-high 22 points as Marshall's women's basketball team romped, wire-to-wire, over host Middle Tennessee 72-49 Thursday evening in the Murphy Center.
The win vaulted the Thundering Herd to 8-9 overall and 7-8 in Conference USA, while the Blue Raiders fell to 13-7 and 11-6 in the league.
Wheeler made seven of her 13 shots and six for seven from the free throw line to go with three steals. Kennedi Colclough also posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Pearson and Lorelei Roper had a team-high four assists.
Anastasia Hayes, Conference USA's leading scorer at 27.8 points per game, led Middle with 17 points and four steals, but those points came on 3-for-16 shooting. Deja Cage added 10 points. Alexis Whittington paced the Blue Raiders on the glass with nine.
Twenty of Middle's points came on its 30 free throw attempts. Marshall went 10-for-14 from the charity stripe.
Marshall held a commanding 44-20 edge on points in the paint, fast break points (13-3) and bench points (20-10).
The Thundering Herd grabbed its first double-digit lead at 18-8 on a 3-pointer by Alexis Johnson at the 2:21 mark of the first quarter and led 20-11 through one period.
Marshall led by 20 (39-19) on a Wheeler triple at the 3:30 mark of the second stanza.
The lead grew to as many as 30 (57-27) on a Roper layup at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter.
In some ways, the game bore resemblance to Marshall's 59-53 victory at Middle two seasons ago. In that game, the Blue Raiders made just four of its 27 3-point shots. On Thursday, Middle struggled again, making just three of its 25 shots from deep.
"I think our team is playing really well," said Marshall head coach Tony Kemper. "I've been saying that this team had a chance to do good things all year. I do not think that it's a coincidence that (you're seeing that) now that we're together and playing. You're starting to see what we're capable of."
"This is a big win. Not a lot of people (win in Murfreesboro). Now we get a chance to clean the slate and try to do it again tomorrow."
Senior Kristen Mayo, the Thundering Herd's second-leading scorer (10.3), announced on social media before the game that her career has come to a close following an injury late in the 56-55 win over North Texas on Saturday.
"I hate it," Kemper said. "She's been a huge part of this team for so long and, while it's good to have her over here, she's so competitive and wants to play. She's had a tough senior year. She's done a lot of things right at Marshall. I'm proud of how she is handling rotten news. There is no other way to say it."
The two teams will play the final game of the series Friday at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT. It will also air on ESPN+.
KEMPER'S POSTGAME COMMENTS
MURFREESBORO, Tn. – Savannah Wheeler scored a game-high 22 points as Marshall's women's basketball team romped, wire-to-wire, over host Middle Tennessee 72-49 Thursday evening in the Murphy Center.
The win vaulted the Thundering Herd to 8-9 overall and 7-8 in Conference USA, while the Blue Raiders fell to 13-7 and 11-6 in the league.
Wheeler made seven of her 13 shots and six for seven from the free throw line to go with three steals. Kennedi Colclough also posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Pearson and Lorelei Roper had a team-high four assists.
Anastasia Hayes, Conference USA's leading scorer at 27.8 points per game, led Middle with 17 points and four steals, but those points came on 3-for-16 shooting. Deja Cage added 10 points. Alexis Whittington paced the Blue Raiders on the glass with nine.
Twenty of Middle's points came on its 30 free throw attempts. Marshall went 10-for-14 from the charity stripe.
Marshall held a commanding 44-20 edge on points in the paint, fast break points (13-3) and bench points (20-10).
The Thundering Herd grabbed its first double-digit lead at 18-8 on a 3-pointer by Alexis Johnson at the 2:21 mark of the first quarter and led 20-11 through one period.
Marshall led by 20 (39-19) on a Wheeler triple at the 3:30 mark of the second stanza.
The lead grew to as many as 30 (57-27) on a Roper layup at the 2:47 mark of the third quarter.
In some ways, the game bore resemblance to Marshall's 59-53 victory at Middle two seasons ago. In that game, the Blue Raiders made just four of its 27 3-point shots. On Thursday, Middle struggled again, making just three of its 25 shots from deep.
"I think our team is playing really well," said Marshall head coach Tony Kemper. "I've been saying that this team had a chance to do good things all year. I do not think that it's a coincidence that (you're seeing that) now that we're together and playing. You're starting to see what we're capable of."
"This is a big win. Not a lot of people (win in Murfreesboro). Now we get a chance to clean the slate and try to do it again tomorrow."
Senior Kristen Mayo, the Thundering Herd's second-leading scorer (10.3), announced on social media before the game that her career has come to a close following an injury late in the 56-55 win over North Texas on Saturday.
"I hate it," Kemper said. "She's been a huge part of this team for so long and, while it's good to have her over here, she's so competitive and wants to play. She's had a tough senior year. She's done a lot of things right at Marshall. I'm proud of how she is handling rotten news. There is no other way to say it."
The two teams will play the final game of the series Friday at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT. It will also air on ESPN+.
Team Stats
MARSH
MT
FG%
.438
.228
3FG%
.261
.120
FT%
.714
.667
RB
44
40
TO
14
15
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's BasketballG
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