Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
15-19,6-12Sun Belt
#6 Seed App State
13-17,9-9Sun Belt
Marshall Women’s Basketball Rolls Past App State, 75-66
3/7/2025 7:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Ilderton scores career-high 21 as Herd advances to face Troy on Saturday
Box Score | 2025 SBC Tournament Bracket | Coach Fulks Post-Game Presser
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The postseason road continues for Marshall Women's Basketball after the Thundering Herd earned a 75-66 win over App State in the fourth round of the 2025 SBC Women's Basketball Tournament at Pensacola Bay Center on Friday.
It was the Thundering Herd's fourth win in four days as the Herd led from midway through the first quarter and never looked back.
With the win, Marshall will take on Troy in the quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon.
"I was really proud of our effort today on defense," Marshall head coach Juli Fulks said. "I thought in the first half, we flew around and got our hands on a lot of different things. I think all four games, we've been in double-digit steals and those possessions matter. We won the boards battle again, so I'm convinced that if we can shoot well from the 3-point line and do those things, we are going to be really hard to beat."
Peyton Ilderton scored a career-high 21 points to punctuate a performance in which the team got contributions up and down the lineup en route to their fourth straight win this week.
"We have a lot of players that are really good, and I think that's something really special about our team," Ilderton said. "Anybody can go off on any given day. My teammates found me today and I was able to put the ball in the basket."
Aislynn Hayes added 15 points on her birthday and Meredith Maier also had 12 points for the Herd while C.C. Mays scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Marshall led by as many as 19 following a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter and got several defensive stops and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. The Herd was 11 of 12 from the line in the fourth quarter with Ilderton knocking down all six of her attempts.
The Herd extended its halftime lead to double-digits after three quarters, based on the play of Hayes, who scored nine of her 15 points in the quarter.
Marshall took a 35-26 lead into the locker room after a strong offensive performance that saw the Herd take control early on.
The Herd was the team with more energy early in the contest, connecting on five 3-pointers in the first quarter to build an early lead.
Maier led things early, hitting all three of her field goal attempts, including two from beyond the arc, in scoring nine of her 12 points to lead the way early.
"Every game is a new mentality so we've taken that mentality with us every single day," Maier said. "It's bound to go in and you've just got to keep shooting it until you see it go in."
The Herd continued its strong play on the defensive end in the second quarter, limiting the Mountaineers to a first half in which they only shot 37 percent, which included a 4-of-15 performance from behind the arc.
With the win, Marshall has now won seven straight games in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, becoming the first in 19 years to do so and only the fifth team in the 42-year history of the SBC to accomplish that feat.
To see the bracket for the 2025 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Championship, click HERE.
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