Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, January 3
Huntington, W.Va.
4 PM
Marshall University
10-5,2-1Sun Belt
88
vs
81
App State
9-7,2-2Sun Belt
1
2
F
App State
32
49
81
Marshall
44
44
88
Marshall Men’s Hoops Downs App State to Complete Perfect Week
1/3/2026 8:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Speer registered second consecutive 20-point, seven-assist contest
Box Score (PDF) | Championship Fund
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Men's Basketball Team (10-5, 2-1 SBC) survived a late rally from App State to secure an 88-81 Sun Belt Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.
"A really good win. We dealt with some adversity. Guys had to step into different roles and play a little bit longer than normal," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "We talked earlier in the week about having the next man up mentality. We didn't know Matt was going to go down and Erich break a record fouling out in five minutes. Shamarrie and Drew had to play out of the norm and they stepped up in the first half and played well.
The Herd built a double-digit edge by halftime, leading 44-32, and appeared in control after a fast start to the second half that saw Noah Otshudi knock down a three-pointer and Erich Harding finish a dunk to push the margin to 15. The Herd's perimeter attack was firing on all cylinders, with the team finishing 12-for-24 (50 percent) from three-point range and dishing out 20 assists on 29 field goals.
Jalen Speer powered Marshall with 21 points, seven assists and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line in 33 minutes. Speer notched four three-pointers and the decisive jumper with 1:02 left to expand the lead to seven. It marked his second consecutive 20-point and seven-assist game.
Noah Otshudi delivered an efficient 17-point outing on 7-of-10 shooting, including a clutch basket with under two minutes remaining that helped Marshall withstand App State's late push. Otshudi added four assists and five rebounds in a complete effort.
Wyatt Fricks battled for 16 points and six rebounds, logging a season-high 38 minutes and matching his career high for field goal attempts with 14. Shamarrie Hugie came off the bench to spark the Herd, setting career bests with 12 points and three made three-pointers in just 14 minutes while adding two steals and a block.
App State closed the gap to 77-75 with just under two minutes to play on a pair of free throws from Michael Marcus Jr., but Marshall answered immediately as Otshudi buried a critical jumper assisted by Fricks. After a defensive stop, Speer's dagger from midrange extended the lead to 82-75, providing enough cushion for the Herd to hold on despite a last-ditch effort by the visitors. Marshall's bench outscored App State's 26-20, and the team's superior perimeter shooting and ball movement offset App State's 36 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Marshall hits the road next week for a pair of contests starting Wednesday night in Harrisonburg, Virginia, at JMU.
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 (10-5, 2-1 SBC) survived a late rally from App State to secure an 88-81 Sun Belt Conference victory Saturday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.
"A really good win. We dealt with some adversity. Guys had to step into different roles and play a little bit longer than normal," Herd Men's Basketball Head Coach Cornelius 'Corny' Jackson said. "We talked earlier in the week about having the next man up mentality. We didn't know Matt was going to go down and Erich break a record fouling out in five minutes. Shamarrie and Drew had to play out of the norm and they stepped up in the first half and played well.
The Herd built a double-digit edge by halftime, leading 44-32, and appeared in control after a fast start to the second half that saw Noah Otshudi knock down a three-pointer and Erich Harding finish a dunk to push the margin to 15. The Herd's perimeter attack was firing on all cylinders, with the team finishing 12-for-24 (50 percent) from three-point range and dishing out 20 assists on 29 field goals.
Jalen Speer powered Marshall with 21 points, seven assists and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line in 33 minutes. Speer notched four three-pointers and the decisive jumper with 1:02 left to expand the lead to seven. It marked his second consecutive 20-point and seven-assist game.
Noah Otshudi delivered an efficient 17-point outing on 7-of-10 shooting, including a clutch basket with under two minutes remaining that helped Marshall withstand App State's late push. Otshudi added four assists and five rebounds in a complete effort.
Wyatt Fricks battled for 16 points and six rebounds, logging a season-high 38 minutes and matching his career high for field goal attempts with 14. Shamarrie Hugie came off the bench to spark the Herd, setting career bests with 12 points and three made three-pointers in just 14 minutes while adding two steals and a block.
App State closed the gap to 77-75 with just under two minutes to play on a pair of free throws from Michael Marcus Jr., but Marshall answered immediately as Otshudi buried a critical jumper assisted by Fricks. After a defensive stop, Speer's dagger from midrange extended the lead to 82-75, providing enough cushion for the Herd to hold on despite a last-ditch effort by the visitors. Marshall's bench outscored App State's 26-20, and the team's superior perimeter shooting and ball movement offset App State's 36 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Marshall hits the road next week for a pair of contests starting Wednesday night in Harrisonburg, Virginia, at JMU.
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
APP
Marsh
FG%
.475
.527
3FG%
.348
.500
FT%
.548
.720
RB
35
32
TO
11
8
STL
4
4
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballMarshall Men's Basketball: Corny Jackson Post Game Press Conference (App State)
Sunday, January 04
Marshall Men's Basketball: Corny Jackson Post-Game Press Conference (Georgia State)
Thursday, January 01
Marshall Men's Basketball: Corny Jackson Weekly Press Conference (Georgia St. | App State Week)
Monday, December 29
Marshall Men's Basketball: Corny Jackson and Players Post Game Press Conference (West Virginia Tech)
Wednesday, December 24