Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
Toledo
1-0,0-0MAC
Women’s Hoops Comes Up Short In Season Opener After Late Shot Waived Off
11/4/2024 10:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
WBB Season Tickets
TOLEDO, Ohio – Marshall's transfer guard Madison Kellione's potential game-tying three with 0.9 left was waived off due to a traveling call as the Herd (0-1) fell to Toledo (1-0), 71-68 in the MAC-SBC opener.
The Herd opened its season on fire, outscoring the Rockets 22-8 in front of 3,754 in the first quarter at Savage Arena. Marshall's leading-scorer CC Mays scored 11 of her 20 points in the opening 10 minutes.
BACK-TO-BACK @CCmays23 TRIPLES 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Qh6MrTXCA6
— Marshall Women's Basketball (@HerdWBB) November 5, 2024
Mays was joined by fellow-returners Meredith Maier and Aislynn Hayes who scored 11 and 10 points each.
Toledo's size created issues with its three players officially listed over 6 '2" in the second half. The teams would trade blows in a statistically-even contest between the regular-season champions of both conferences from a season ago as the lead was down to one for Marshall and Head Coach Juli Fulks making her MU regular-season coaching debut.
"Well that was a great game for us to be a part of, and for all the fans to watch," Coach Fulks said. "We got off to a hot start and were executing really well on both ends of the floor. As the game moved forward, one of the challenges, we knew [Toledo] had some really sound and big post players so we got in foul trouble and some unique lineups. We had many chances in the last minute and that really is what you want. Toledo is a really hard place to win. I thought we competed really well and gave ourselves a chance to win and just couldn't get it to go right in the last minute."
A floater in the lane from Hayes put Marshall back in front at 65-64 with 4:25 to play, only for a 7-3 hosts' run to put the Herd down three in the final minute.
Maier had a look from three before Kellione had a pair of opportunities for the tie. After the first chance was off, Mays grabbed the rebound, dishing the ball back to the Transylvania and Tennessee Tech transfer who initially looked to tie the game, but the play was whistled dead due to the travel call.
The Herd returns to the Cam Henderson Center for its home opener Sunday at 1 p.m. against Northern Kentucky. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
