Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
2-0,0-0Sun Belt
Toledo
0-2,0-0MAC
Marshall Men’s Basketball Uses Second-Half Surge to Win at Toledo
11/8/2025 4:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Herd overcomes 10-point halftime deficit to win on the road
Box Score (PDF) | Championship Fund
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (2-0) delivered a thrilling comeback on the road, rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat Toledo 85-73 Saturday afternoon. The Herd overpowered the Rockets with a 55-point second half to win at Toledo for the first time since December 9, 2017.
Great team win, Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. I believe in the last five years they are 59-12 in this building (Savage Arena), so they don't lose here a lot. We were down at the half. Our guys responded coming out of halftime and shot the ball well. We made 11 of 19 threes in the second half. That's Marshall Basketball.
Jalen Speer led the charge with 20 points, draining six three-pointers and dishing out five assists while notching three steals.
Matt Van Komen anchored the paint, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field for 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to go with four blocks. Van Komen's interior presence and timely rim protection were vital to the second-half defensive stand.
Wyatt Fricks provided a spark with 15 points, including three made threes, along with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. His deep three at the 8:57 mark in the second half gave Marshall its largest lead at 74-55, sealing the momentum.
Noah Otshudi added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Wilson Dubinsky chipped in eight points, four assists and a team-high four steals, hitting clutch free throws in the closing seconds.
Marshall's bench was just as impactful, highlighted by Landen Joseph's 11 points in 10 minutes on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. In all, five Herd players scored at least eight points.
The Rockets took a 40-30 lead into halftime. Everything changed after the break. The Herd exploded out of the locker room, ripping off a 12-0 run.
Speer's pair of three-pointers around the seven-minute mark gave Marshall a double-digit advantage, 67-55, after trailing for most of the first half. Moments later, Van Komen's block on a Toledo layup led to another Herd bucket, extending the lead. The defense tightened, forcing 14 turnovers and limiting Toledo to 33 points after halftime.
Marshall's offense could not be contained in the closing stretch, hitting 15 of 37 threes (40 percent) for the game and shooting over 61 percent from the field after halftime.
It' great to get these two wins. Hopefully it's sold out (Wednesday night against Elon), Jackson about coming home for the first time this season. That's my vision. People laugh at me all the time when I tell them my vision for Marshall Basketball and a wise man once told me before they laugh at you before they believe you. We know it's early, only two games. It's not like we won the Super Bowl. It's not like we won the Sun Belt Conference Chmpionship, but these guys come to work every day. They come with a good attitude. They come with a good spirit. They come with their hard hats, and we're going to continue to do the work. Hopefully, we can bring some good basketball home and the fans show up and really appreciate what these guys do on a daily basis.
UP NEXT
Marshall is set for its 2025-26 home opener on Wednesday night against Elon at 7 p.m. in the Cam Henderson Center.
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