Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, December 20
Troy, Ala.
2 PM EST/1 PM CST
Marshall University
7-5,0-1Sun Belt
63
at
70
Troy
8-5,1-0Sun Belt
1
2
F
Marshall
32
31
63
Troy
36
34
70
Marshall Men Fall at Troy in SBC Opener
12/20/2025 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Otshudi tallied game-high 22 points
Box Score (PDF) | Championship Fund
TROY, Ala. – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (7-5, 0-1 SBC) opened Sun Belt Conference play falling at Troy 70-63 on Saturday afternoon.
"That was a Sun Belt battle. It was physical, guys played hard. I thought Erich Harding played well for us. I thought he played with the right type of to be able to get a 'W'," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "We won a lot of categories, but you have to win the game. It comes down to keeping them off the free-throw line."
Marshall trailed by as many as 16 points early in the second half before Noah Otshudi led a late push. Otshudi finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting, including three three-pointers, while adding four assists and two rebounds in 37 minutes. The Herd clawed back to within five points in the final minute after a 3-pointer from Bryce Slay, but Troy iced the game at the free-throw line in the closing seconds.
Troy (8-5, 1-0 SBC) set the tone early, leading for more than 35 minutes and taking a 36-32 advantage into halftime. The Trojans used a 16-4 run to open the second half, capped by a layup from Theo Seng, to build a 52-36 lead with just over 16 minutes remaining. Marshall responded with defensive intensity and offensive rebounding, cutting the deficit to six when Jalen Speer knocked down a three-pointer at the 8:16 mark.
The Herd dominated the glass, outrebounding Troy 45-42 and grabbing 17 offensive boards. Erich Harding anchored the frontcourt with nine rebounds, seven points and two blocks, while Wyatt Fricks added 10 points and four rebounds.
Speer contributed 13 points, four assists and three rebounds. Marshall's bench outscored Troy 16-7.
UP NEXT
Marshall returns home to the Cam Henderson Center on Tuesday for a contest against WVU Tech at 7 p.m. for its final game before Christmas.
For all the latest information about Marshall Men's Basketball, follow @Herd_MBB on Twitter and @herdmbb on Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
TROY, Ala. – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (7-5, 0-1 SBC) opened Sun Belt Conference play falling at Troy 70-63 on Saturday afternoon.
"That was a Sun Belt battle. It was physical, guys played hard. I thought Erich Harding played well for us. I thought he played with the right type of to be able to get a 'W'," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "We won a lot of categories, but you have to win the game. It comes down to keeping them off the free-throw line."
Marshall trailed by as many as 16 points early in the second half before Noah Otshudi led a late push. Otshudi finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting, including three three-pointers, while adding four assists and two rebounds in 37 minutes. The Herd clawed back to within five points in the final minute after a 3-pointer from Bryce Slay, but Troy iced the game at the free-throw line in the closing seconds.
Troy (8-5, 1-0 SBC) set the tone early, leading for more than 35 minutes and taking a 36-32 advantage into halftime. The Trojans used a 16-4 run to open the second half, capped by a layup from Theo Seng, to build a 52-36 lead with just over 16 minutes remaining. Marshall responded with defensive intensity and offensive rebounding, cutting the deficit to six when Jalen Speer knocked down a three-pointer at the 8:16 mark.
The Herd dominated the glass, outrebounding Troy 45-42 and grabbing 17 offensive boards. Erich Harding anchored the frontcourt with nine rebounds, seven points and two blocks, while Wyatt Fricks added 10 points and four rebounds.
Speer contributed 13 points, four assists and three rebounds. Marshall's bench outscored Troy 16-7.
UP NEXT
Marshall returns home to the Cam Henderson Center on Tuesday for a contest against WVU Tech at 7 p.m. for its final game before Christmas.
For all the latest information about Marshall Men's Basketball, follow @Herd_MBB on Twitter and @herdmbb on Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
Marsh
TROY
FG%
.354
.350
3FG%
.242
.321
FT%
.643
.826
RB
45
42
TO
14
13
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
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