Box Score

HUNTINGTON, W.VA.-The Marshall women’s basketball team got their first win over Ball State since the 1984-85 season Saturday afternoon in the Henderson Center, 86-69. Marshall improves to 8-14, 4-7 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Cardinals fall to 15-7, 9-3 in the MAC.

The Thundering Herd took advantage of the absence of MAC leading scorer Tamara Bowie, who sat out Saturday’s game with a knee injury. Ball State, who entered the game tied atop the MAC West Division with Toledo, could not get anything going all afternoon. Marshall had six players score in double-figures and committed only 14 turnovers, seven less than their season average. The Herd is now 3-0 in games with 15 or fewer turnovers.

MU trailed early in the game 7-4, but then scored the next eight points to take a 12-7 advantage, a lead they would never relinquish. Marshall’s lead ballooned to as many as 19 in the first half, and 28 in the second half.

“We felt going into the game, that if we had fewer turnovers than they did and if we shot more free throws, we could win the game,” said head coach Royce Chadwick. “Today, we did both of those things. We also did a good job controlling their ball-handlers from going to the basket.

“We played pretty well today, I thought. It’s mid-February, and that’s when you’re supposed to play your best basketball, and I think we have played our best in the month of February.

Junior Catie Knable (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) led the Herd with her third consecutive double-double and seventh of the season. Knable scored 20 points, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, and grabbed 15 rebounds. Sikeetha Shepard-Hall (Houston, Tex.) chipped in 15 points, Amy Reed (Schuykill Haven, Pa.) powered her way to 11 points, while Christina Harbin (Miami, Fla.), Ida Dotson (Tombstone, Ariz.), and Cassie Hackworth (Piketon, Ohio) each contributed ten points in the winning effort. Marshall’s 47 first-half points and the game total of 86 points were both season-bests.

Ball State was led by Kate Endress, who scored 22 points and had ten rebounds. Point guard Johna Goff added 19 points for the Cardinals.

The Herd remain at home for a matchup with the Kent State Golden Flashes this Wednesday in the Henderson Center. Game time is set for a 7 p.m. start.