Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, January 17
Huntington, W.Va.
4 PM
Marshall University
12-7,4-3Sun Belt
77
vs
72
JMU
9-10,2-5Sun Belt
1
2
F
James Madison
32
40
72
Marshall
36
41
77
Marshall Men Surge Late for Win over JMU
1/17/2026 8:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Speer leads the way with 22 points, Van Komen with 13 boards
Box Score (PDF) | Championship Fund
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (11-7, 3-3 SBC) outlasted James Madison 77-72 with a late surge at the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday with a season-high 4,336 fans in attendance.
"The fans were awesome, we had a great crowd," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "They got into it. Like I say all the time, you don't have a home-court advantage if you don't have fans, and our fans are the best in the Sun Belt for sure, and they showed why today. They gave us that extra boost. They were our sixth man."
The contest was a back-and-forth battle throughout, featuring 10 lead changes and five ties. Marshall held a slim 36-32 lead at halftime.
Jalen Speer led the way for the Herd with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. His biggest shot came with just over a minute left, draining a three-pointer and nailing the free throw on the and-one to extend Marshall's lead to five and shift the momentum for good.
Noah Otshudi was relentless, tallying 17 points and six rebounds while setting new career highs with nine made free throws on 10 attempts. Otshudi's poise at the line was critical down the stretch, including two makes in the final 22 seconds to secure the win.
Matt Van Komen controlled the paint, matching his season high with 13 rebounds (including five offensive boards) and adding three blocks. His presence helped Marshall dominate the glass with a 45-36 advantage, including 18 offensive rebounds that led to key second-chance points.
Wyatt Fricks extended his double-digit scoring streak to nine games, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. His
The Herd's ability to convert at the line proved decisive, outscoring James Madison by 10 points at the stripe (23-13). Marshall shot 82.1 percent (23-for-28) on free throws. The team also posted a 32-26 edge on points in the paint and led for more than 23 minutes of game time, highlighting the collaborative, resilient effort that defined the night.
UP NEXT
MU returns to court Thursday night at home against ULM.
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.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (11-7, 3-3 SBC) outlasted James Madison 77-72 with a late surge at the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday with a season-high 4,336 fans in attendance.
"The fans were awesome, we had a great crowd," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "They got into it. Like I say all the time, you don't have a home-court advantage if you don't have fans, and our fans are the best in the Sun Belt for sure, and they showed why today. They gave us that extra boost. They were our sixth man."
The contest was a back-and-forth battle throughout, featuring 10 lead changes and five ties. Marshall held a slim 36-32 lead at halftime.
Jalen Speer led the way for the Herd with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. His biggest shot came with just over a minute left, draining a three-pointer and nailing the free throw on the and-one to extend Marshall's lead to five and shift the momentum for good.
Noah Otshudi was relentless, tallying 17 points and six rebounds while setting new career highs with nine made free throws on 10 attempts. Otshudi's poise at the line was critical down the stretch, including two makes in the final 22 seconds to secure the win.
Matt Van Komen controlled the paint, matching his season high with 13 rebounds (including five offensive boards) and adding three blocks. His presence helped Marshall dominate the glass with a 45-36 advantage, including 18 offensive rebounds that led to key second-chance points.
Wyatt Fricks extended his double-digit scoring streak to nine games, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. His
The Herd's ability to convert at the line proved decisive, outscoring James Madison by 10 points at the stripe (23-13). Marshall shot 82.1 percent (23-for-28) on free throws. The team also posted a 32-26 edge on points in the paint and led for more than 23 minutes of game time, highlighting the collaborative, resilient effort that defined the night.
UP NEXT
MU returns to court Thursday night at home against ULM.
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
JMU
Marsh
FG%
.393
.407
3FG%
.393
.300
FT%
.650
.821
RB
36
45
TO
14
13
STL
7
3
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
5
Pts
17
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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