Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
10-9,3-5Sun Belt
Southern Miss
13-6,6-2Sun Belt
Marshall Women Win Thriller Over SBC Co-Leader Southern Miss
1/21/2023 5:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
One point victory ends five-game skid for Herd
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall women's basketball team would not be denied Saturday at the Cam Henderson Center.
Entering the final quarter down five, the Herd thundered out to an 18-4 run to flip the deficit into a nine point lead. Marshall held on for the 53-52 victory thanks to a clutch steal from junior Abby Beeman in the frantic final seconds of the game.
"Everyone around the program knows we've lost a couple in a row," Beeman said. "We were finally close enough in the fourth quarter to where we could finally make a push and get the lead. We weren't going to let that go. Even though we were stagnant there at the end, we found a way and I think everyone is pretty happy about that."
The Herd are now 10-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Southern Miss (13-6, 6-2 Sun Belt) entered Saturday as one of three teams tied for the league's lead at 6-1. The Golden Eagles held a 13-10 advantage after one, and a 28-21 lead at the half. Head coach Tony Kemper liked the defensive prowess the team showed to stay in the game.
"I thought we were really tough against a physical, tough team who is going to get the ball to the spots that they want to get them to." Kemper said.
Marshall outscored USM 11-9 in the third. Leading scorer Roshala Scott tallied five points in the quarter. Roshala has hit double figures in all 19 games the team has played this season.
After shooting 33 percent through three quarters, Marshall made its first six field goals in the final frame, including triples from Terah Harness and Meredith Maier. Maier, the freshman forward from Fairmont finished with a career-high 11 points.
The co-leaders trimmed the Herd lead down to two, before Roshala Scott made a contested layup to put Marshall back up four with over a minute to play. Following a USM three, it was Scott's offensive rebound which gave Coach Kemper's side the ball with six seconds remaining.
On the ensuing in-bounds play, Marshall would lose the ball with the Golden Eagles taking possession. USM's Chardai Watkins drove to the paint in the waning seconds before Beeman's heroic steal sealed the victory.
"I have no idea how Abby got that ball, but she did," Kemper added. "Sometimes, it finally breaks and you get a (game-winning) play…We were resilient and found a way. Abby has got really quick hands."
Marshall heads to Louisiana next to face ULM Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
For all the latest information about Marshall women's basketball, follow @HerdWBB on Twitter and Instagram.
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