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Marshall Men Return Home For Two Game Homestand
Feb. 24, 2006
Marshall GameNotes
Southern Miss GameNotes
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Thundering Herd return from a week-long break to take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at the Henderson Center Saturday evening. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Marshall (10-14, 3-8) last played on February 18 at East Carolina, a game it lost, 63-59. Sophomore guard Joe Miles (Forestville, Md.) led Marshall with 19 points off of the bench, and senior center Mark Patton (Barboursville, W.Va.) added his 13th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Pirates took an early lead at the half, but Marshall responded and took the lead midway through the second half. East Carolina regained the lead and held on with clutch free throw shooting - the Pirates made 14-of-14 from the free throw line. Patton is on the verge of breaking the prestigious 1,000-point barrier. The Herd's only West Virginia native is only five points shy of 1,000, and will become the 43rd Marshall player to score 1,000 points when he accomplishes the feat. Marshall will be tied with West Virginia for eighth all-time in NCAA history when it comes to the elite club - the Mountaineers' Joe Herbert became WVU's 43rd last week against Connecticut. Seniors Patton, LaVar Carter (Louisville, Ky.), and Adam Zimmerman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) will all be playing their final two games at the Henderson Center. Patton and Carter are both fourth-year seniors, and Zimmerman has been on the team since head coach Ron Jirsa's arrival in the 2003-04 season. Southern Miss enters Saturday's contest with an 8-18 overall record, 2-9 in Conference USA play. Courtney Beasley leads the Eagles in scoring, averaging 11.1 points per game, and Jason Forte leads Southern Miss on the glass with 4.5 rebounds per contest. USM has lost three in a row, and 9 out of its last ten, with the only win coming over UCF at home on February 8th. Golden Eagle head coach Larry Eustachy is in his second season in Hattiesburg, and has compiled a 19-35 record. Overall as a head coach, Eustachy has a record of 279-180 in 16 seasons, and has been to three NCAA Tournaments as head coach of Utah State and Iowa State. Marshall and Southern Miss have met four times in the history of the two schools, with Marshall leading the series, 3-1. The only game in the Henderson center came on December 18, 1989, when the Golden Eagles came to Huntington and defeated the Herd, 76-74. The Eagles, powered by All-American Clarence Witherspoon, lost the Metro Conference Tournament Final to Louisville that season and received an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The previous year, the Herd ventured to Hattiesburg and defeated the Golden Eagles, 103-97. The other two Marshall wins came in 1951 (76-63) and 1953 (94-79) - both games were at Memorial Fieldhouse. The Herd and Golden Eagles will tip off at 7 p.m. in the Henderson Center. The game can be heard live regionally on the ISP/Thundering Herd Network or on the Internet at www.HerdZone.com.
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