Georgia Southern continued its incredible postseason run Sunday night by outscoring Marshall 6-1 over the final minute to escape an 82-78 victory in the second Sun Belt Conference semifinal game at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The Eagles (21-15) made it five wins in five days to reach Monday night’s title game against No. 1 seed Troy. The Trojans eliminated Southern Miss in the first semifinal, 78-70. The winner gets the league’s automatic to the NCAA Tournament.

Marshall, the No. 2 seed by virtue of winning a six-way tiebreaker, hadn’t played in more than a week. The Thundering Herd finish 19-13.

“We had a chance to play for the league championship and came up short,” Herd assistant coach Steve Snell said on postgame radio. “They made the plays down the stretch that we didn’t. We fought hard and came out on the short end.”

Georgia Southern swept the Herd in the regular season and had 200 points and 28 three-pointers in the two games. The bombing slacked off a bit as the Eagles had just two threes in the second half and went 7 of 26 for the night. 

Georgia Southern turned to Spudd Webb to secure the win. He poured in 31 points, went 8 of 14 from the field and proved clutch at the foul line with a 13 of 14 effort. Down the stretch, Webb willed his way to the basket multiple times and it paid off in the form of free throws. 

Andres Burney scored 12 points and Tyren Moore and Alden Applewhite 11 each in the win.

Marshall battled adversity before and during the game. Normal starting guard Noah Otshudi, with a 14-point average, did not suit up as he battles an illness. Big man Erich Harding played just 5 minutes in the first half. And the Herd had three players with three fouls each in the first half.

Shamarrie Hugie led Marshall with a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Wyatt Fricks, playing in his final game, totaled 18 points. Jalen Speer scored 15, Caleb Hollenbeck 11 and Landen Joseph 10. Hollenbeck got all his points in the second half and made three three-pointers.

“In the second half, Erich was a little banged up and we had to go small,” Snell said. “They took advantage of it. We came up one play short tonight. Winner-take-all and we didn’t make that one play. We did have some guys step up.”

Marshall struggled to find an answer for Webb.

“He’s such a good player,” Snell said. “He’s a foul magnet. He gets fouled a lot and makes them. We have to learn not to foul as much.”

The Herd trailed by nine early in the second half and Hollenbeck came on to hit three baskets, two of them threes, to cut the lead to 46-45. Joseph’s three-pointer with 15:19 left capped a 15-2 run and gave Marshall the lead, 50-48. The teams went back and forth from that point.

Over the final 6 minutes, there were five times, while Hollenbeck’s three left Marshall with a 77-76 lead with 1:24 remaining. 

Webb’s two free throw with 56 seconds to go put the Eagles ahead to stay 78-77. After a Herd turnover, Webb got fouled with 28 seconds left and made both for a three-point advantage. The Eagles had one foul to take, then fouled Fricks with 16 seconds on the clock and he made one of two to make it 80-78. 

The Herd had to foul and sent Moore to the line with 10 seconds left and he made both to make it 82-78.

In the first half, one of the three fouls on Speer was a technical just 1:30 before halftime.

Georgia Southern’s biggest lead was 13 at 25-12 with 8:54 left on a triple from Khayri Dunn. A three by Wilson Dubinsky at 5:37 got the Herd within two at 27-25. The Eagles then ruled the final five minutes to lead by seven (42-35) at the break.

Georgia Southern defeated Marshall three times in as many matchups from February 14 on. The Eagles have scored at least 80 points in all five Sun Belt Tournament wins.

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An extended break ahead of Sun Belt Conference Tournament play ends Sunday for Marshall.

The Thundering Herd wrapped up the 2025-26 regular season February 27 with a 99-82 home loss to Georgia Southern.

Despite the result, a six-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt worked out quite favorably for Marshall, which is the No. 2 seed with an automatic bye into a semifinal.

The Herd will get another crack at the Eagles at 8:30 p.m. Sunday with a spot in the Sun Belt title game at stake.

With nine days between contests, Marshall had a chance to rest and work on fine-tuning its performance before it takes the court at Pensacola Bay Center for its third matchup this season with Georgia Southern.

The Eagles (20-15) have won four games over the last four days, defeating Old Dominion, Arkansas State, South Alabama and Coastal Carolina to reach this point. Combined with its February win in Huntington, the Eagles have been victorious in five straight.

Georgia Southern also defeated Marshall at home this season, 101-87, with the Eagles having amassed 200 points over two games against the Herd.

“Huge opportunity for us,” Herd head coach Cornelius Jackson said. “We were fortunate to get the number 2 seed, so we have a few days off to get ourselves right after the loss to Georgia Southern. It’s a two-game season for us — one possession and one game at a time.”

Jackson hasn’t noticed discouragement from his squad after losing two of its last three regular season games. 

He’s more concerned about Marshall controlling the narrative in Pensacola — regardless of opponent.

“We controlled our own destiny,” Jackson said. “We still do. We gave the guys a couple of days off to regroup mentally since we don’t play until Sunday. I thought we had a good practice on Monday.

“We are upbeat and we’re locked in on winning on Sunday.”

Top seed Troy takes on Southern Miss in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Sunday.

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Marshall went scoreless at the wrong time. 

The Thundering Herd missed its final six shots and did not score over the final 4:14 of a 73-58 loss to South Alabama in the fourth round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla.

This is the first time the Jaguars have beaten the Herd. They had been 0-4 until Friday.

“That is never how you want the season to finish,” Herd coach Juli Fulks said. “Proud of the effort over a 31-game season. We had a lot of really good moments this year. A lot to be proud of. We packed the gym (Cam Henderson Center) and had a lot of fans here today. We have six seniors and it’s a shame you can’t go out on your own terms. You’re incredibly elated or just devastated. It’s one or the other. This segment of your life is over. We fought through a lot. Hats off to South Alabama. They played a really good game and hit a lot of shots.”

A year ago, Marshall played its first tournament game on Tuesday and won four before bowing out. South Alabama, a No. 12 seed, is following a similar path. The Jaguars meet No. 4 James Madison in a quarterfinal Saturday.

Marshall finishes 23-9. The 23 wins are the third-most in a single season in Herd women’s basketball history. The team also more than doubled its regular-season win total from last year, finishing plus-12 in that category in Fulks’ second season in charge. 

After trailing by 12 at halftime, the Herd twice got within six points in the fourth period, but could not muster the offense to make it interesting.

The Jaguars hit 18-of-23 free throws in the second half.

“We’re not supposed to be here, that’s what everybody else said,” South Alabama coach Yolisha Jackson said. “It shows we can go five, six, seven days. I’m excited to coach one more day. See how we compete. Runs can go either way. Our way we want to keep going.”

In the fourth period, Marshall cut the deficit to 58-52. South Alabama took over from there. The Jaguars had just four threes, but made 23-of-46 shots and 23-of-30 free throws.

“They’re on the same track as us last year,” Fulks said. “You get a game under your belt and normalize things a bit. We had fresher legs. We were not able to execute when we needed to. Gave them extra possessions and too much inside.”

The Herd sank just 22-of-71 shots, including 8 of 37 from three. Marshall made 6-of-12 free throws.

Chrysta Narcisse led the Jaguars with 18 points and made 8-of-8 free throws. Renaltha Marc scored 17 and Daniela Gonzalez added 12.

Marshall’s Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year, totaled 18 points, eight steals and six rebounds. The steal total is one off the tournament record of nine, set by Western Kentucky’s Dawn Warner in 1996. 

Logan native Peyton Ilderton made four threes on the way to 14 points. Timberlynn Yeast closed with 10. Meredith Maier was held scoreless.

“South Alabama is like us last year,” Marshall’s Blessing King said. “They had nothing to lose. We’re on fresh legs, but not locked in.”

“They’re a pretty deep team,” Fulks said. “We held them to four threes. We didn’t want to foul as much. The (foul) line kept them in the game. We had 71 (shots) and only 58 points.”

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Tony Gibson’s second spring football as Marshall head coach is underway, with the Herd having returned to the field Tuesday.

Gibson is hoping Marshall can improve from a 5-7 finish in his first season as head coach, one that ended in disappointing fashion as the Herd lost three of its final four games to miss out on qualifying for a bowl game.

Gibson had positive reviews of the opening spring session as his team looks to make the most of the next several weeks.

“It’s a great day to be on the field,” Gibson said. “We had that Day 1 energy and the goal is to keep it up for all 15 practices.”

The Herd are scheduled to practice again Thursday and Friday as part of a schedule with three practices weekly over five of the next six weeks. There will be no practice the week of March 16 as a result of spring break.

The annual spring game that concludes spring practice is set for Saturday, April 11 at 3 p.m., and will be held at Edwards Stadium.

Gibson was pleased with a smoother start to spring drills in comparison to last season, when more than 70 new players were trying to find their way in the program.

A core group of veteran leaders is back for Marshall, including starting quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, offensive lineman Jalen Slappy and tight end Toby Payne.

There are new additions to the defensive coaching staff in coordinator in Brad Lambert, safeties coach Dean Hood, cornerbacks coach Chip West and line coach Anthony Leonard. Leonard replaces Ralph Street, who has accepted a position on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff.

“We’ve got a coaching staff here that teaches well and is putting their schemes in place,” Gibson said. “The kids have done really well catching to things off the field and it’s showing on the field.”

Defensively, Marshall looks to replace several departed veterans along the back end and at safety.

Del-Rio Wilson will be challenged for the top spot behind center by returning backup Zion Turner and West Virginia transfer Khalil Wilkins. Del Rio-Wilson had put together a strong 2025 season before injuries slowed him in November. He threw for 2,043 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall, adding 660 yards and six touchdowns on rushes.

On special teams, a new kicker (Jorge Diaz Nicolas) and punter (true freshman Cooper Heimbach) are getting their first reps at this level.

“It was good to get out here on Day 1 and see these guys run around,” Gibson said. “We’ll go to the film room, get better and try to learn from it, then we’ll come out on Thursday and do things a little better.”

The Herd had a surprise visitor to practice Tuesday in former Marshall All-American defensive end Mike Green, a 2025 second-round NFL draft pick who just completed his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens. Green recorded 41 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in his first year as a professional.

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A pair of seniors from Marshall’s men’s basketball team were honored by the Sun Belt Conference this week for their accomplishments in the recently completed regular season.

Wyatt Fricks was named first-team All-Sun Belt  and teammate Jalen Speer was a second-team honoree.

Fricks, a five-year member of the Marshall program, averages 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds to go with 45 blocks. The Lawrenceville, Georgia native scored double figures in 24 contests, with eight games of 20 or more, including a career-high 34 against Elon.

Fricks also registered three double-doubles including one against Miami Ohio, the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten.

Speer leads the team with a scoring average of 15.7 assists and is tops in the Sun Belt with 170 assists.

The Gainesville, Florida native had 23 games with at least 10 points and nine with 20 or more, including a career-high 39 at Coastal Carolina last month.

Speer also recorded at least five assists in 19 games with 10 or more in three, including a career-high 12 against Elon.

South Alabama guard Chaze Harris was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Troy’s Scott Cross was named the league’s Coach of the Year.

— — — — —

Marshall women’s scoring leader Timaya Lewis-Eutsey earned multiple honors in being named all-conference first team, league Newcomer of the Year and a member of the Sun Belt All-Defensive team.

The Herd have now had at least one first-team all-conference honoree in three straight seasons.

Lewis-Eutsey joined the Herd ahead of this season after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth. She finished as the Sun Belt’s leading scorer with an average of 19.4 points and tops the conference with 3.6 steals per game. Her 112 steals are 34 more than anybody else in the Sun Belt and ranks No. 4 among all Division I players.

Lewis-Eutsey shot an efficient 49 percent and had six games with 30 or more points, 12 with 20-plus, while registering double-figure scoring 26 times.

Lewis-Eutsey also averages almost four assists and four rebounds and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt with 121 assists.

Georgia Southern forward Kishyah Anderson was named the Sun Belt Women’s Player of the Year, while the Eagles’ Hana Haden was the pick as the league’s Women’s Coach of the Year.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall didn’t get the desired result on its Senior Night contest Friday against Georgia Southern. Later, though, after Sun Belt Conference officials gathered to decide an abundance of tiebreakers for the tournament next week, news turned out favorable for the Thundering Herd.

Thanks to a late run and 61-point second half, the Eagles raced past Marshall, 99-82, before a disappointed home crowd at Cam Henderson Center. It marked their first win in Huntington, gave the regular-season title and No. 1 seed to Troy and created a six-way tie for second. The Herd got the No. 2 seed based on the league’s tiebreaker scenarios as six teams finished 11-7 in league play.

That means Marshall won’t take the court in Pensacola, Fla. until Sunday. Game time in the Pensacola Bay Center will be 8:30 p.m (EST). The opponent will be the winner Game 8 between No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina and its opponent to be determined — which could be any of the following teams: No. 14 UL Monroe, No. 11 Old Dominion, No. 10 Georgia Southern, No. 7 Arkansas State or No. 6 South Alabama. The RedWolves and Jaguars were part of the six-way tie for second.

Herd coach Corny Jackson said his team has some soul searching to do between now and the semifinal contest.

“A lot of time to self reflect before we head to Pensacola,” Jackson said. “We have to go to a different mindset, get our minds right and deliver results.”

A lack of defensive productivity damaged the Herd in its latest contest. Tyren Moore led Georgia Southern with 26 points with an 8 of 12 effort from beyond the arc. He also had eight threes when the Eagles won at home earlier this season against MU. 

Alden Applewhite added 23 points and Nakavieon White 20. Khayri Dunn added 11 of the bench as the visitors outscored the Herd 38-17 in that statistic.

“They made plays when they needed to be made,” Jackson said. “Gave them way too much in the second half. The floor opened up.”

Marshall honored seven seniors prior to tipoff with flowers and a framed picture of each player’s jersey. The seven were Wilson Dubinsky, Wyatt Fricks, Noah Otshudi, Grant Moore, Kai Speers, Jalen Speer and Matt Van Komen, who remains sidelined with a foot injury.

“I feel bad for the seniors, especially Wyatt,” Jackson said. “We put ourselves in position. We didn’t get it done. Maybe the moment was too big? I don’t know.”

Applewhite drilled a three with 5:08 left to give the Eagles the lead for good at 75-73. From that point, the visitors outscored Marshall, 24-9. They closed the game on a 13-2 run. 

In its earlier meeting with Marshall, Georgia Southern scored 101, meaning it averaged 100 points in two regular season matchups.

The Eagles tied a season-high under coach Charlie Henry with the 61 second-half points. They are 10-0 this season when scoring at least 90 in a game.

Troy (12-6) is No. 1 seed in the tournament and also idle until next Sunday when it starts the semifinal round. The Sun Belt title game is set for 7 p.m. next week, with the winner earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

After Marshall and Coastal Carolina, seeds from the tiebreaker are No. 4 Appalachian State, No. 5 Texas State, No. 6 South Alabama and No. 7 Arkansas State. 

— — — — —

The Marshall women’s team, which lost to Georgia Southern in overtime, 78-72, in its Senior Night contest last Friday, is the No. 5 seed in the SBC Tournament. Its first game will be Friday against Texas State or the Game 5 winner at 12:30 p.m. 

Should the Herd win, it would face No. 4 James Madison on Saturday at 1 p.m. A win there would put Marshall in one semifinal against top seed Georgia Southern on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. 

Troy is the No. 2 seed and in the other semifinal. Those winners will meet in the title game Monday at 2 p.m. That winner gets the SBC’s automatic to the NCAA Tournament.

Georgia Southern swept the Herd and Troy rallied from down 20 to beat Marshall in the regular season.

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(Note: All times lasted are in EST)

Tuesday, March 3

Game 1 – Louisiana 84, Georgia State 75

Game 2 – Old Dominion 87, UL Monroe 80

Wednesday, March 4

Game 3 – James Madison 87, Louisiana 72

Game 4 – Georgia Southern 88, Old Dominion 84

Thursday, March 5

Game 5 – Southern Miss 86, James Madison 80

Game 6 – Georgia Southern 80, Arkansas State 77

Friday, March 6

Game 7 – Southern Miss 81, Texas State 77

Game 8 – Georgia Southern 94, South Alabama 85

Saturday, March 7 (Quarterfinals)

Game 9 – Southern Miss 86, Appalachian State 73

Game 10 – Georgia Southern 96, Coastal Carolina 72

Sunday, March 8 (Semifinals)

Game 11 –Troy 78, Southern Miss 70

Game 12 – Georgia Southern 82, Marshall 78

Monday, March 9 (Championship)

Game 13 – (1) Troy vs. (10) Georgia Southern – 7 p.m. [ESPN2]

2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship Presented by Air Force Reserve

(Note: All times lasted are in EST)

Tuesday, March 3

Game 1 – South Alabama 68, Appalachian State 57

Game 2 – Louisiana 71, Georgia State 66

Wednesday, March 4

Game 3 – South Alabama 80, Coastal Carolina 70

Game 4 – UL Monroe 79, Louisiana 63

Thursday, March 5

Game 5 – South Alabama 69, Texas State 59

Game 6 – UL Monroe 89, Southern Miss 72

Friday, March 6

Game 7 – South Alabama 73, Marshall 58

Game 8 – UL Monroe 68, Old Dominion 67

Saturday, March 7 (Quarterfinals)

Game 9 – James Madison 79, South Alabama 54

Game 10 – Arkansas State 76, UL Monroe 68

Sunday, March 8 (Semifinals)

Game 11 – James Madison 81, Georgia Southern 53

Game 12 – Troy 83, Arkansas State 73

Monday, March 9 (Championship)

Game 13 – (4) James Madison vs. (2) Troy – 2 p.m. [ESPNU]

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Georgia Southern turned Marshall’s Senior Night into a nightmare Friday night.

Having surpassed 100 points in an earlier victory over the Herd this season, the Eagles neared that number. This time around, Georgia Southern got 40 points in the paint and drilled 13 three-pointers, to handle the Herd, 99-82, at Cam Henderson Center.

The outcome created a six-way tie for second in the league. Troy, with its win Friday over UL Monroe mixed in with various other results, secured No. 1 in the league and thus the top seed in the league tournament next week in Pensacola, Fla.

“Disappointing,” Marshall coach Corny Jackson said. “We had everything in our favor. One of the most disappointing losses I’ve ever had.”

Despite the loss, Marshall (19-12, 11-7) is seeded No. 2 in the Sun Belt Tournament and earned a bye into a semifinal, which it will play Sunday, March 8.

Arkansas State, despite being part of a six-way tie for Marshall, begins play Thursday and will need to win five games in five days to win the event.

𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧.

The bracket is set for the 2026 @VisitPensacola Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship presented by @Join_AFReserve.

» https://t.co/9WMUNP2M30 pic.twitter.com/5tcfyGrwib

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) February 28, 2026

Alden Applewhite drilled a three-pointer with 5:08 left to give the Eagles the lead for good at 75-73. From that point, the visitors outscored Marshall, 24-9. 

Georgia Southern nailed half of its 26 three-point attempts. The Eagles recorded 12 in the first meeting between the two teams.

“If you want to beat them ,it can’t get in the 90s,” Jackson said. “Ones they lose, they’re in the 60s. They got 101 down there on us, 99 today. We couldn’t make enough plays to win. We had opportunities. Got to play better in games of this magnitude. They were the better team.

“We talked about it. Can’t give them points at the rim and threes. They got in the paint for points. In the second half, they flipped it.”

Tyren Moore paced the Eagles (16-15, 8-10) with 26 points and made 8 of 12 from behind the arc. Applewhite finished with 23 points, going 7 of 9 from the field and 9 of 12 at the foul line. Nakavieon White totaled 20 points, helped by 7-of-11 shooting. The Eagles also won the bench battle with 38 points to 17 for Marshall.

Wyatt Fricks paced Marshall with 25 along and eight rebounds. Noah Otshudi hit for 19, but was scoreless in the second half.

Herd freshman Landen Joseph added 12. Jalen Speer, the Herd’s No. 2 scorer, scored just seven points and was 1 of 7 from deep.

Thanks to making five of its final seven shots in the half, Marshall led at the break, 40-38. 

Center Matt Van Komen was out again with an injured foot and in street clothes.

The Eagles are the No. 10 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament and will play Wednesday against the winner of No. 11 Old Dominion/No. 14 UL Monroe. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall players first brushed aside the tears. To be expected on Senior Night.

Then visiting Georgia Southern played a strong overtime to brush aside the Thundering Herd, 78-72, to secure the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next week in Pensacola, Fla.

Timberlyn Yeast converted a three-point play with 17 seconds left in regulation to the game at 70. The Eagles’ Destiny Garrett missed a jump shot just before time expired, sending the game to the extra session.

Georgia Southern (23-6, 16-2 SBC) scored the first six points in overtime to take control, 76-70. Garrett made two free throws with 12 seconds left to secure the win and Sun Belt regular season title. It’s Georgia Southern’s first title in any league in 25 years. 

The Herd did not make a field goal in the extra session and scored its only points on two free throws from Ni’Kiah Chesterfield.

Marshall (23-8, 13-5) now has to start a day earlier in the tournament as the No. 5 seed. Its first game will be Friday.

𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡’𝗦 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧.

The bracket is set for the 2026 @VisitPensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship presented by @Join_AFReserve.

: https://t.co/RlrbTKG896 pic.twitter.com/I7DmrAb4YB

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) February 28, 2026

Marshall coach Juli Fulks said several bright moments, but falling on Senior Night was tough to take.

“A lot to be proud of,” Fulks said. “We started really strong. We missed a lot of free throws and layups. They shot incredibly well. We challenged some (threes), but not enough. The group in that locker room hurts. Hate to send out our seniors that way. A win would’ve been special.”

Georgia Southern finished with 10 threes compared to 3 on 17 attempts for the Herd.

Kishyah Anderson led the Eagles with 20 points. Kayla Cleavland added 19 with 15 coming on five threes. McKenna Eddings finished with 18 and Garrett 14 by making 10-of-12 foul shots.

Marshall got a stop on the first possession in OT, but didn’t covert. The Eagles then got four points from Garrett and two from Anderson to seize control and secure the season sweep of the Herd.

“We got a stop, then they put up eight and we got two,” Fulks said. “Looks like our legs gave out some. But they played Thursday. We got a couple of stops, but they got some huge offensive rebounds when we needed stops.”

Timaya Lewis-Eutsey led the Herd with 22 points. Yeast played big and scored 18, making 8-of-14 shots. No other Herd player reached double figures. 

“I challenged Timberlynn this morning,” Fulks said. “She had a great game, one build off of to keep helping us.”

Blessing King led in rebounds with 11.

Marshall had two losses to the Eagles, one to Troy, one to James Madison and one to Old Dominion. That has Fulks encouraged going into the tournament.

“We can play with anybody,” Fulks said. “Now we need to string a few wins together. Four games are harder than three. Whoever we see will be a tough matchup. We were on the other end last year (started play in round one Tuesday and kept going and won four times before bowing to Troy). We got on a roll and kept it going.”

Marshall hit its final four shots in the first half to take a 38-33 lead. Lewis-Eutsey got the final one, a three-pointer just before the horn sounded.

The Eagles kept pace by hitting 7-of-13 three-point shots. Cleveland led the way with 4-of-4 to give her 12 points. The series between the two is now even at 12-12.

Lewis-Eutsey led the Herd with 11 points and Yeast had 10. The Herd’s halftime lead was its biggest of the half. Georgia Southern’s biggest lead was four at 10-6.

Georgia Southern set its single-season win record in the NCAA era (post 1985). The Eagles now have extra time off before a matchup in the Sun Belt semifinals next Sunday.

Fulks wished the night had turned out differently for the team’s six seniors.

“Such a great group,” Fulks said. “We end up with six seniors and they’re really special people. What I like is they’re not happy about this.”

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall’s main preseason goal is there for the taking.

Now it’s time for the Herd to act through on it.

Marshall welcomes Georgia Southern for a 9 p.m. matchup Friday, and a win would clinch a Herd at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship.

The contest between the Herd and Eagles is airing on ESPN2.

Marshall (19-11, 11-6) is tied atop the Sun Belt with South Alabama, Appalachian State and Troy. All 14 teams are in league action tonight, and based on Sun Belt tiebreaker rules, a Herd win would ensure Marshall of a spot in a Sun Belt Tournament semifinal next week.

If Marshall, Appalachian State and Troy win and South Alabama loses, the Herd earn the No. 1 seed.

Marshall remained in the mix atop the Sun Belt by virtue of a 97-88 win over Old Dominion on Tuesday. 

“If you play a really good defense, you don’t have to go and answer every single time,” Herd head coach Cornelius Jackson said. “You have to get stops. They were getting downhill on our main defense, so we went zone and they still got downhill a few times.

“We have to play better. We have to play with more focus, energy and toughness on Friday.”

The next night, Georgia Southern (15-15-, 7-10) suffered an 82-66 loss to James Madison, bringing their losing streak to three games.

Marshall will honor seniors Wilson Dubinsky, Wyatt Fricks, Noah Otshudi, Grant Moore, Kai Spears, Jalen Speer and Matt Van Komen during a pregame ceremony.

Speer leads a trio of Marshall double-figure scorers at 16 points per game, followed by Fricks at 15.3 and Otshudi at 14.3. Fricks tops active Herd rebounders at 5.6 per game as Komen continues to be sidelined with an ankle injury.

Georgia Southern sinks or swims based on the play of graduate guard Spudd Webb, who leads the squad with an average of 15.6 points. 

UAB transfer guard Tyren Moore follows at 15, along with forward Aiden Applewhite, who averages 13 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds.

GSU’s points scored and allowed are identical at 79.8 per game.

This marks the second meeting between Marshall and Georgia Southern as the Eagles defeated the Herd on Valentine’s Day, 101-87.

— — — — —

The Marshall women’s basketball team is also in action Friday with a home game against the same opponent. The Herd welcome Georgia Southern for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

Marshall (23-7, 13-4) hasn’t played since a win last Saturday at Georgia State.

Georgia Southern (22-6, 15-2) is tied with Troy atop the Sun Belt. The Eagles handled Marshall 76-66 in Statesboro earlier this month.

Georgia Southern has already clinched a triple bye in the Sun Belt Tournament, while the Herd can finish anywhere from third to fifth in the conference. Marshall is tied with Arkansas State and James Madison.

Marshall will honor seniors Peyton Ilderton, Blessing King, Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, Meredith Maier, Arionna Redman, TreShondra Williams and head student manager Justin Bailey before the game.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall baseball spent the first two weeks of the regular season on the road. After defeating Evansville twice to start the year, the Herd have dropped five straight, including an 11-7 loss on Monday to Winthrop.  

Marshall coach Greg Beals is hopeful Jack Cook Field can help change his team’s fortunes starting with Friday’s home opener against Butler at 3 p.m.

“That’s exactly what we need,” Beals said. “We need the friendly confines of our own ballpark, our locker room and our batting cages — everything that Jack Cook Field and the Alex Lawrence Clubhouse bring to us. We need that right now and hopeful that the shot in the arm gets us going in the right direction.”

Marshall was in South Carolina last weekend and dropped a pair of games at The Citadel, before falling to Navy 8-1 on Sunday in Columbia, S.C. 

The Bulldogs, members of the Big East Conference, bring a 2-6 record with four straight setbacks to Huntington. The two teams will meet gain at 4 p.m. Saturday and for the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Butler was swept by Murray State in a three-game set last weekend and scored only six runs in the process.

Butler has defeated UT Martin and Illinois thus far this season, scoring 10 runs on both occasions.

Beals wants to see his team put together more complete performances and maintain an aggressive mindset, which he believes it’s too often failed to do early on. 

“We’ve got a broken record going right now where we come out and put ourselves in positions to have success. We have a lead and we just can’t put games away,” Beals said. “We started out winning and then we got afraid of losing. Teams can’t play with a fear of losing. We’ve got to find a way to make the play when it matters, make the pitch when it matters, get the hit when it matters.”

Outfielder Evan Bottone is leading Marshall in batting average at .542 across 24 at bats. Bottone has collected three home runs, nine RBIs and a triple.

Other significant offensive contributors have been outfielder Ethan Murdoch (.318 avg., 2 HR), Tyler Kamerer (3 doubles) and Cooper Hinson and Jackson Halter, who have a pair of home runs each.

Pitchers Bryce Blevins Blaine Albright each have a win this season.

Blevins has 15 strikeouts in his two starts and a miniscule 2.08 earned-run average. 

After the Butler series, Marshall at Virginia Tech on Tuesday, then returns home for a weekend series against St. Bonaventure.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall was rolling for much of Tuesday night before being forced to get over a hurdle after Old Dominion pulled to within five points as the 7-minute mark of the second half neared.

Wyatt Fricks, Landen Joseph and Jalen Speer then sparked an 11-2 run to allow the Herd lead 91-77, and Marshall hung on from there to defeat the Monarchs 97-88 at Cam Henderson Center.

“We found a way to win,” Marshall coach Corny Jackson said. “Obviously our defense has to be better. They had 52 points in the paint, 88 for the game. We have to play a lot better defense Friday night. But again, it’s that time of year. It’s the second go-around. They played funky. They were calling their leads. We had 22 assists, seven turnovers. I thought we were sharing the ball and playing at our pace. Things went our way except for the defensive part.”

Marshall (19-11, 11-6 Sun Belt Conference) closes out the regular season Friday against Georgia Southern at home. It’s part of a doubleheader. The Herd women play Georgia Southern at 6 p.m. The Herd and Eagles take the floor at 9 for a men’s matchup that will air on ESPN2.

The Herd are tied for the Sun Belt lead with Appalachian State and Troy. South Alabama is in fourth at 10-6, followed by Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina and Texas State at 10-7. The top two seeds get byes until the semifinal round in the conference tournament.

“We have a huge opportunity,” Jackson said. “It’s our next game. We have the best fans in the Sun Belt. It’s a huge opportunity to show off our school, our community, our state. We don’t get many opportunities like that.”

Fricks led Marshall with 28 points, making 12-of-17 shots. It was a strong showing from Fricks, who along with teammates and coaches, battled a virus on last week’s two-game road trip, along with foul trouble.

“It’s great to be in the Cam,” Fricks said. “I can breathe. We didn’t play with a lot of energy at the start. We’ve got to find a better way. As a player, you get in that flow stage. One goes in, they all drop. Definitely feels nice. Sick is not an excuse. It sucks. I was under the weather the Miami (Ohio) game. You still show up, you keep going.”

Jackson was pleased with Fricks’ perseverance.

“You have to fight through that stuff, adversity. You learn life lessons in basketball,” Jackson said.

Noah Otshudi shot 7 for 12, Joseph was 7 for 10 and Speer finished 8 for 10. Each of that trio scored 18 points, while Joseph and Otshudi had six assists apiece.

Fricks scored in bunches on slam dunks as the Herd worked the pick-and-roll and got him free when breaking the visitor’s press in the closing stages.

“Wyatt Fricks runs like a deer,” Jackson said. “The guy to my left (Joseph) is young and fresh.(Otshudi and Speer) are fast. They can put pressure on defense. Give the offense a chance to make mistakes.”

The Herd made 40-of-67 field-goal attempts for 60 percent shooting.

Joseph said Jackson wanted his team to pick up the pace from the jump.

“Coach brought it to our attention we were not playing with energy,” said Joseph, a freshman. “We picked it up. We’re more of a transition team. When we play fast, we’re fun to watch.”

“I’ll take the 97,” Jackson added. “You don’t take the win for granted. We’ve got to do better job Friday night. We’ve got to have that energy level at the start.”

Ketron “KC” Shaw led the Monarchs (10-20, 6-11) with 26 points. Jordan Battle added 24 and Caelum Swanton-Rodger 17. 

Marshall leads the series against ODU, 18-16. The Herd won 81-79 at the Monarchs two weeks ago.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — To stay in the hunt for a Sun Belt Conference championship, Marshall has no margin for error down the stretch.

The Thundering Herd, tied with Troy and South Alabama for second in the league and a half game behind Appalachian State, are back in action Tuesday when welcoming Old Dominion.

Tipoff at Henderson Center is 7 p.m. for the matchup that can be seen on ESPN+.

Marshall (18-11, 10-6) never led in its last outing, Saturday’s 79-75 loss at Coastal Carolina. Herd guard Jalen Speer scored 39 points, but a rally from the visitors fell short two days after Marshall had posted a victory at Appalachian State.

“You don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself,” Herd head coach Cornelius ackson said. “I guarantee Old Dominion won’t feel sorry for us. We have to take Saturday’s loss and learn and grow from it and get our bodies well.”

Marshall, which has battled recent illness across its roster and coaching staff, has played only one of its previous five games at home, that a makeup contest one week ago with South Alabama.

Marshall defeated the Monarchs 81-79 in Norfolk, Va. on February 11. Wyatt Fricks scored 24 points to lead the Herd, followed by 18 points from Speer and Noah Otshudi.

Old Dominion (10-19, 6-10) is coming off of an 86-81 loss at Southern Miss and has endured a challenging season. The Monarchs held an 18-point first half lead, but couldn’t muster a road win over the Golden Eagles.

KC Show led ODU with 18 points in the loss, followed by the 17 points of Jordan Butler.

“We missed a golden opportunity, but we’ll have a couple of days here before we get to Marshall and will talk about things that we can be better at,” ODU head coach Mike Jones said. “But we’ve got to take a deep breath here. From top to bottom, we’ve got to be better and we’ve got to go to work on trying to be better on Tuesday.”

Shaw leads the Monarchs with an average of 17.1 points. ODU’s other double-figure scorers are Battle (14.1) and L.J. Thomas (11.2 ). 

Seven-footer Caelum Swanton-Rodger tops the Monarchs in rebounding at five per game.

Speer (15.9), Fricks (14.8) and Otshudi (14.2) remain Marshall’s top scoring trio. 

While the Herd awaits the return of leading rebounder and shot blocker Matt Van Komen, Fricks is paving the way on the glass with 5.7 boards on average. He also has 43 blocks.

Marshall welcomes Georgia Southern for Friday’s 9 p.m. matchup airing on ESPN2. 

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Marshall’s offense consisted of a two-man attack Saturday, but Coastal Carolina’s foul shooting over the final 10 minutes allowed the Chanticleers to prevail in the Sun Belt Conference matinee, 79-75, at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C.

The Thundering Herd trailed at 50-40 with just over 10 minutes to play, and from that point, Coastal Carolina would make 19-of-22 free throws to hang on and claim the regular season sweep over Marshall on Senior Day.

“Just ran out of gas,” Herd coach Corny Jackson said on postgame radio. “We played five games in 10 days. I’m proud of the guys. We had to overcome a lot of adversity. We fought to the end.”

Marshall was to within three at 78-75 on a basket by Speer with 20 seconds left. 

“We had a chance at the end,” Jackson said. “We played some percentages and fouled (Peat made 1 of 2 with 1:14 left and Tristan Thompson missed two with 29 seconds to play).” 

Beadle was fouled with 7 seconds left and made 1-of-2 attempts to set the score.

Marshall’s output would come from guards Jalen Speer and Noah Otshudi, but not necessarily by design. Illness among the team and coaches, plus foul trouble, limited the production. Speer finished with a career-high 39 points and Otshudi added 18. No other Marshall player scored more than six.

Coastal Carolina’s three-guard attack produced as it has all season. RaSheed Jones led with 29 points and went 9 of 9 at the foul line. Joshua Beadle totaled 18 points and converted 9-of-10 free throws. Nadjrick Peat came off the bench to record 13 points and 13 rebounds and A.J. Dancler scored 10.

Marshall (18-11, 10-6 Sun Belt) made 16-of-18 free throws, including 15 of 15 in the second half. The Chanticleers converted 24 of 34 from the free-throe line, including 21 of 29 in the second half to keep the Herd at bay.

Jackson indicated up to eight or nine players, support staff members and coaches battled a virus on the trip.

In the first half, Coastal Carolina (17-12, 9-7) had five threes to one for the Herd, the top three-point shooting team in the league. Marshall missed its first five before Speer connected.

The Chanticleers opened the game on a 7-0 run. With 10:03 left in the half, Jackson received a technical when he inched onto the floor on the sideline and a Coastal Carolina player bounced the ball off him.

Coastal Carolina went on a 9-0 run to open a 29-15 lead when Jones nailed a three-pointer with 4:35 left in the half. The lead stayed in double digits when Jones hit another three just before the half ended for a 36-24 lead.

Speer had half of his team’s scoring output at halftime and poured in 27 in the second half.

Beadle added nine on three threes.

The Herd’s Wyatt Fricks extended his games played streak to 122. He had just four points and fouled out.

Marshall began the day tied with Troy for first and returns home for its final two games. Old Dominion visits the Cam Henderson Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. On Friday, it’s a doubleheader with the men and women against Georgia Southern in both. 

“We’ve got two huge games left,” Jackson said. “Get home, get healthy and take them one at a time.”

Appalachian State moved back into first place in the Sun Belt with Saturday’s 89-74 win over the Eagles that leaves the Mountaineers 11-6 in Sun Belt play.

South Alabama defeated Troy 65-54, meaning the Jaguars, Trojans and Herd are each 10-6 within league play. 

— — — — —

In women’s basketball action Saturday, Marshall pulled away late to defeat Georgia State, 82-75, in Atlanta. 

Timaya Lewis-Eutsey put in a full day for the Herd with 32 points, seven rebounds, six blocked shots and four steals. The Herd improved to 23-7 overall and 13-4 in the Sun Belt. The Panthers fell to 9-19 and 4-12 in league play.

Through Saturday, Georgia Southern and Troy share first in the Sun Belt at 14-2. 

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Marshall worked its comeback magic with a unique lineup to rally from 16 points down in the first half and knock off Appalachian State, 94-93, in Sun Belt Conference action Thursday night at the Holmes Center in Boone, N.C.

The win moves the Thundering Herd (18-10, 10-5 SBC) into a first-place tie in the league with Troy.

Marshall staged the comeback with an unusual cast of characters. Coach Corny Jackson turned to Landen Joseph, who made his second start, along with Drew Fuquay, Shamarrie Hugie and Wilson Dubinsky. 

The Herd battled foul trouble all night and lost Erich Harding to fouls, while Wyatt Fricks missed much of the second half with four fouls. Veteran Jalen Speer made his presence felt as usual, but Noah Otshudi sat most of the second half with reserves helping to get the job done.

Joseph hit a jumper with 12 seconds left to put the Herd ahead, 94-92. Appalachian State’s Jalen Tot was fouled on a shot attempt with 4 seconds remaining. He made the first free throw, but missed the second and the Herd got the rebound and the win to disappoint the crowd off 3,011.

“You know we have the next-man-up mentality,” Jackson said on radio following the game. “These guys that played have done this before. We didn’t have a choice.”

Jackson noted he and several players are fighting the flu bug.

“Erich was puking his guts at halftime,” Jackson said. “I’m under the weather. But we found a way. A lot of guys did big things.”

Joseph racked up a career-high 24 points. He made 9-of-13 shots (3 of 5 from three) and added four assists. One big assist came with 3:28 left when he got the ball to Hugie, who made a three to give Marshall its first lead at 86-84. Marshall made 20-of-29 shots in the second half to 11 of 23 for the Mountaineers.

“He hit big bucket after big bucket after big bucket,” Jackson said. “We just got him the ball screen. He’s making the right play. We have to play big down the stretch if we’re going to be a championship team. We’re peaking at the right time.”

With the makeshift lineup, the Herd sprung a trap defense in the second half and the Mountaineers didn’t handle it well.

“We’re just a dangerous team in the second half,” Joseph said. “I don’t think they were ready for it because it really startled them. I thought they weren’t comfortable with the ball.”

Fuquay and Joseph hit threes to keep the Herd up by three late. Kasen Jennings connected on a three for the Mountaineers (18-11, 10-6) with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 92 and set the stage for the dramatic finish.

LANDEN ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/fAglptwhx9

— Marshall Men’s Basketball (@Herd_MBB) February 20, 2026

“I work on those type of shots every day,” Joseph said. “Some aren’t going to fall. You just keep shooting. That was an unusual group. I think we’re more dangerous. We’re so mobile.”

Joseph had confidence Fuquay would hit the big shots.

“When I got him the ball, I knew he was going to make it,” Joseph said of the go-ahead score. “Their heads went down when that shot went in. We’re trying to come out with No. 1 seed. Take care of business on the road and then our home games. I feel like we’ll do great in the tournament.”

Jackson said the Herd’s mindset late paid off.

“They were playing for first pace and we were playing a regular game,” Jackson said. “If we can stay healthy, I like our chances. You can’t have mental lapses. We had some guys make big plays down the stretch.”

Marshall returns to action Saturday against Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. Tip is 1 p.m. The Chanticleers won the first meeting. This is the Herd’s final road game of the season.

Appalachian State played uptempo in the first half and raced to a 52-41 lead. The Mountaineers connected on eight three-pointers to six for Marshall. Both team had 11 threes for the night. The home team led, 44-28, with 4:05 left in the opening half, after running off 12 unanswered points.

Speer tied Joseph for team-high scoring honor with 24 and Fuqay was 6 for 6 with 15 points. Fricks scored 10 to make it four double-figure scorers in the win.

Alonzo Dodd and Tot paced the Mountaineers with 19 points apiece.

Jennings scored 17, Luke Wilson 16 and Michael Marcus Jr. 12 in defeat. 

The home team shot 40 free throws and made 28. The Herd went 15 of 21 at the foul line.

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For this stage of the season, the stakes could hardly be higher.

First place in the Sun Belt Conference is up for grabs Thursday when Marshall clashes with Appalachian State at the Holmes Convocation Center. Tipoff is 6:30 p.m. and the contest can be seen on ESPN+.

The Thundering Herd (17-10, 9-5) stayed in the thick of the Sun Belt race Monday when they hung on to defeat South Alabama 84-80 in a makeup contest from a previously scheduled matchup that was postponed January 24.

Appalachian State (18-10, 10-5) lost Saturday at James Madison, 69-58, a result that brought an end to the Mountaineers’ seven-game win streak.

Appalachian State is tied with Troy atop the Sun Belt, a half game ahead of the Herd and South Alabama. The Trojans slipped by UL Monroe 77-76 on Wednesday night to create the time for the time being.

Marshall is seeking a regular season sweep in the series after defeating the Mountaineers 88-81 on January 3. In that contest, Herd guard Jalen Speer scored 21 points.

After Monday’s win over South Alabama, Herd senior Wyatt Fricks feels Marshall in good position with four regular season games remaining.

“We know what’s at stake,” Fricks said. “It’s coming down to the end of the season and you either want to win or go home.”

Graduate guard Kasen Jennings leads the Mountaineers in scoring with an average of 15.3 points. Senior guard Alonzo Dodd (13.6) and sophomore Luke Wilson (10.2) follow. 

Wilson is a major inside presence and leads the squad at 7.9 rebounds per game along with 52 blocked shots. Rebounding has been a strength for Appalachian State, which is almost plus-5 in margin on average.

The free-throw line has been an area of concern, with the Mountaineers hitting at only a 62.6 percent clip.

Marshall’s scoring numbers remain consistent with the three leading scorers closely matched — Fricks (15.4), Speer (14.7) and guard Noah Otshudi (14.3). 

Fricks leads in rebounding among active players with 5.8 boards. Leading rebounder Matt Van Komen averages 7.6 but hasn’t played for two weeks as he rehabs from an ankle injury suffered at Arkansas State.

The Herd made 18 three-pointers against South Alabama and continues to excel in that area with a team percentage of 36.9.

Following Thursday’s game, Marshall plays its final road contest this season Saturday at Coastal Carolina.

Marshall is 37-20 in its all-time series with Appalachian State.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Following recent rumors that Marshall University would be cutting women’s swimming and diving, the MU Board of Governors unanimously approved the shutdown of the program on Tuesday. 

The cut comes as this year’s team prepares to compete in the American Conference Championship, which starts Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C.

As one program is dropped, the Board of Governors approved the addition of a Stunt team, one of the fastest-growing sports offered by the NCAA.

Marshall University President Brad Smith and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison said the decisions were not made lightly, but were dictated by both costs and the need to meet federal Title IX participation standards.

Harrison met with swim team members last Thursday to inform them the program would be ending.

In a later email to the team, Harrison stated “the decision was made after evaluating what is required to provide the highest-quality student-athlete experience over the long term.”

“Swimming requires significant ongoing facility, locker room and infrastructure investment to support health, safety, training and recruiting at the level our student-athletes deserve,” Harrison added. “At this time, we cannot commit to the level of facility and infrastructure investment necessary to support swimming and diving in the way our student-athletes deserve and expect from Marshall Athletics.”

Harrison and Smith said that massive investment was needed to improve the 45-year-old Frederick Fitch Natatorium, which is part of the Cam Henderson Center.

The natatorium will remain open and Smith says it will continue to welcome Marshall students, the community and high school swim teams which have called it home in recent years.

A Message from Marshall University President Brad D. Smith Regarding Marshall Athletics:

: https://t.co/7BXP1X9YGc pic.twitter.com/HNL1YnoECy

— Marshall Athletics (@HerdZone) February 17, 2026

Marshall currently has 28 swimmers and divers. Of that group, 17 have already entered the transfer portal as they look for a new athletic home.  Any students who remain at Marshall will continue to have scholarships honored.

The Herd has a 4-1 meet record this season, losing only to West Virginia in November.

Ian Walsh has led the program for the past six years and there have been notable accomplishments with 133 all-time top-10 performances, 26 individual podium finishes, eight school records and four individual conference champions.

Harrison and Smith say the cost of operating a Stunt program will be about $500,000 less per year when compared to swimming and diving. In addition, much of the infrastructure needed for the program is already on the Marshall campus.

Marshall hopes to start the women’s Stunt program with around 30 athletes, but that number could jump to as high as 65, the maximum roster allowed by the NCAA.

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Marshall made its share of three-point shots, especially in the first half, during Monday night’s Sun Belt Conference makeup game against South Alabama.

In the end, it was Jalen Speer’s three with 1:48 remaining — the 18th triple of the night for the Herd — that allowed Marshall to increase a one-point lead to 80-76, and a conventional three-point play from Wyatt Fricks 45 seconds later helped Marshall preserve an 84-80 win over the feisty Jaguars at Cam Henderson Center.

Fricks’ three-point play followed a bucket in the lane from South Alabama’s Chaze Harris that allowed the visitors to momentarily trail by two.

The win moves the Herd (17-10) into a three-way tie for second in the Sun Belt Conference with South Alabama and Troy at 9-5. 

Appalachian State has a 10-5 mark to lead the league, while Texas State is at 9-6 and Coastal Carolina at 8-6.

Marshall coach Corny Jackson felt his team’s familiarity with the Jaguars’ ability to rally — which they did Saturday by overcoming an 18-point deficit in a victory against Arkansas State — proved beneficial.

“That was big win,” Jackson said. “We watched the tape and how they came back. We knew we’d have to fight all the way through. Twenty-six assists and seven turnovers against a good South Alabama team. Credit to the guys. We had watched a lot of tape. We knew where the openings were. We knew they’d play zone the whole game. We gave them the formula, the options to go for. They did.”

Fricks finished with 27 points and seven rebounds. He shot 11 for 17.

“Wyatt was the man tonight,” Jackson said. “He made huge plays. He hurt his ankle, got it taped up and came back. That’s why we need Wyatt.”

“A statement,” Fricks said. “Every gam’s big now. Win or go home. Down to four games left. They were first coming in and we knew it’s be a battle of two good team. I’ve waited five years or this moment. I do whatever it takes.”

Before Speer hit the last three, Harris drove the lane and scored to pull the Jaguars within 77-76.

Fricks’ three-point play came via his offensive rebound after Wilson Dubinsky had missed a triple.

“Harris is a really good player,” Jackson said. “In the big moments we stayed focused, we didn’t panic. When they made the run, we responded. That’s part of winning.

“We have the athleticism. We have everything it takes to win. Everybody wants to talk about winning, but once they see how hard it is, they drop the head. Having the guys make it happen tonight shows me something. Hopefully we can continue that.”

Speer, who scored 18 points, said it’s a matter of the Herd stepping up when it means the most.

“We want to be No. 1 in the conference,” Speer said. “We went out and showed them. We knew what they’d do, play zone the whole game. Getting the ball to open man up top or the wing was key. And getting stops at the others end.”

Dubinsky scored 12 on four threes and Landen Joseph 10. Marshall made 18-of-46 shots from behind the arc.

Harris paced the Jaguars with 28 points. Adam Olsen had 21  with five threes and Stephen Williams scored 19.

Marshall returns to action Thursday against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. Game time is 6:30 p.m. and first place in the SBC is up for grabs. 

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Marshall coach Corny Jackson had an idea what Georgia Southern would do in their Sun Belt Conference matchup Saturday night.

“They want to shoot threes and get to the basket,” Jackson said. “Pretty much sums it up. Credit to them. They came out hard. We fought back, but not enough.”

Georgia Southern celebrated Senior Night as the departing seven players combined for 95 points to help power the Eagles past the Thundering Herd, 101-87, in the first nationally-televised game (ESPNU) inside the Jack and Ruth Hill Convocation Center in Statesboro, Ga.

“Giving them 10 threes in the first half and giving them pretty much both sums up the game,” Jackson said. “It didn’t help we didn’t have Wyatt [Fricks]. He got in foul trouble and played just four minutes (in the first half).”

Marshall is 16-10 overall, 8-5 in the Sun Belt and back in action at 7 p.m. Monday when it welcomes South Alabama for a makeup game.

Georgia Southern is 15-12 and 7-7 in the SBC.

The 10 threes allowed the Eagles to race to a 59-42 lead at the break. They held off a second-half charge by the Herd, which got as close as nine points, to secure the win in their final home game of the season.

Graduate Tyren Moore poured in 32 points with 21 in the first half. He drilled a career-high eight three-pointers. Spudd Webb added 18 points, Jefferson Koulibaly 16 with four threes and Alden Applewhite 14 to go with 10 rebounds.

Jackson felt Moore and Webb did the expected. It’s the unexpected that was a bigger issue for his team.

“He and Spud (Webb) did what they normally do,” Jackson said. “The one (Koulibaly) that hurt us barely plays and he has four threes.”

Marshall did reduce what was a 73-49 deficit to nine in the final 2 minutes, but got no closer.

“We continued to play,” Jackson said. “We never get down regardless of the score. They shot the ball well in the first half and that told the tale.”

Jalen Speer paced the Herd with 20 points, 17 coming in the first half. Fricks, who is from Lawrenceville, Ga., had 17 as did Landen Joseph, who came off the bench. Noah Otshudi settled for 13 before he fouled out. Matt Van Komen, the 7-foot-4 transfer from Elon, missed his fourth straight game. He’s nursing an injured foot.

Georgia Southern topped the century mark for the first time in SBC play this season and second time overall. The 59 points in the first half are the most in any half under coach Charlie Henry. 

The 101 points also are the most under Henry. Since joining the SBC in 2014-15, the Eagles are 44-3 in league play when scoring 90-plus points in a game. They are 9-0 this season when tallying 90-plus. 

Jackson feels South Alabama is in a good place mentally after coming back from 18 points down with 7:45 left to knock off Arkansas State, 92-88, in overtime Saturday in Jonesboro, Ark. 

“Go back home and see if we can get well and make a better showing Monday,” Jackson said. “They won the OT game and obviously are feeling good.”

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Marshall and Georgia Southern engaged in a shootout in their Sun Belt Conference game Saturday night.

It was the Eagles, though, who had the hotter hand throughout the first half as well as most of the second to come away with a 101-87 win inside Jack and Ruth Ann Hilll Convocation Center. 

The Eagles (15-12, 7-7 Sun Belt) ended a three-game skid in the process.

Georgia Southern sprinted to a 59-42 lead at the half on red-hot shooting from behind the arc. The Eagles nailed 10 threes on 16 tries. 

Alden Applewhite’s conventional three-point play 20 seconds before the half gave the home team the 17-point lead. Marshall played most of the half without leading scorer Wyatt Fricks as a result of two early fouls.

Tavarus “Spudd” Webb drained another three with 16:04 left to give the Eagles their biggest lead at 24 (71-47). From that point on, the Thundering Herd had to play catchup — and there would be no such thing this night.

Tyren Moore led Georgia Southern with 32 points on Senior Night and final home game of the season. He made 11-of-19 shots including 8-of-13 from three. Webb finished with 18 and Applewhite 14. Jeff Koulibaly came off the bench and netted 16. The Eagles went over the 100-point mark late despite going the final 5:22 without a field goal. As a team, the Eagles made 15-of-32 threes.

Marshall took 28 threes and made 11.

Jalen Speer paced the Herd (16-10, 8-5 SBC) with 20 points. Fricks had 17 as did Landen Joseph, who came off the bench. Noah Otshudi settled for 13 before he fouled out. Matt Van Komen, the 7-foot-4 transfer from Elon, missed his fourth straight game for the Herd. He’s nursing an injured foot.

Marshall got the deficit down to nine points on two Otshudi free throws with 1:32 to play. The Eagles protected the lead by hitting their free throws from that point.

Nakavieo White’s basket and foul shot at the 5:22 mark was the last field goal for the Eagles. They did rest of the scoring at the foul line.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Herd as it takes on South Alabama in a makeup game Monday at the Cam Henderson Center. Tip is 7 p.m. 

A busy week for Marshall also includes a trip to Appalachian State on Thursday and a matchup at Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Through Saturday, South Alabama is atop the Sun Belt by percentage points with a 9-4 record. Appalachian State follows at 10-5, while Troy (9-5), Marshall and Texas State (9-6) are not far behind.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall coach Juli Fulks remembers well the nightmare against Troy when the Trojans rattled the Thundering Herd in the second half and overcame a 20-point deficit to win.

Arkansas State tried to stage a similar comeback Saturday, but this time the Herd had answers. The Red Wolves played from behind all day, but closed to within four points twice in the final period.

On the next possession, Peyton Ilderton drove the lane, dished off to Leyocha Marigney and she scored to make it 57-51. Timberlynn Yeast hit two free throws with 21.9 seconds left

and the Herd escaped with a 62-54 win in the Sweetheart Clinic game at Cam Henderson Center.

“The first six or seven minutes is the best basketball we’ve played since I’ve been here,” Fulks said. “Our execution was flawless. When their pressure ramps up, there’s going to be pressure on us. That’s one of the things we tried to learn from the Troy game. When the game got hard in the third quarter, we didn’t do a great job of staying together as a group. Coming together, talking to each other about what was open. Instead we tried to handle that individually. So we talked about that and made sure we worked on that in practice and communicated that.

“That was great, because they had two different runs where it got a little hairy for us with the press, had some turnovers, but we found a way to get a positive possession. The most important thing is we stopped and talked to each other. We found a way to get through it. That really matters when you play them.”

Marshall improves to 22-6 overall and 12-3 in the Sun Belt. The 22 regular-season wins are the third most in program history. 

Arkansas State came in ranked high nationally in three-point baskets (10 a game), steals (15.7) and turnovers forced (27). The Red Wolves came up with 14 steals and forced 24 turnovers. Unfortunately, it was not their day behind the arc. They took a single-game high 50 and made seven. 

“We had a lot of really good defensive moments,” Fulks said. “Obviously we don’t want to give up 50 threes, but we were flying around their shooters. We did a good job of making them hard and challenging every three they took, most of them anyway. Sometimes that means you are taking some that aren’t great. Our job was trying to limit the ones they were standing there open. Those are just easier to make.”

Timaya Lewis-Eutsey led the Herd with 19 points and Ilderton contributed 17.

“The three she hit after that run settled us down, helped us to keep the lead,” Fulks said of Ilderton. “We really needed that shot. Big-time shooter make big-time shots.”

The Red Wolves (20-7, 11-3) used a 7-0 run late in the second period to trail 36-30 at the break. Arkansas State sank three triples in the third period, but still trailed 50-41 after three. A 6-point run got them close, but the Herd had solutions this time to hold on.

Ilderton was quite relieved after the win. Quite the contrast to the collapse against Troy.

“I was a terrible leader that Troy game,” Ilderton said. “That’s something we talked about, staying together, having confidence. We knew they would go on runs and I just told everybody, ‘It’s so important that we stay together.’ I thought our team did a great job of doing that. They went on their run, but it didn’t matter because we just still played our game. I’m really proud of our team today.”

Marigney pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds.

“We learned from Peyton. Stay together,” Marigney said. “Keep the ball high. When I brought it down I knew there’d be pressure. No turnovers.”

With 50 attempted threes, Fulks knew that could lead to many rebounds. Arkansas State won the board battle, 48-37 and 22-4 on the offensive glass.

“They didn’t shoot particularly well, and when that happens there’ll be a lot of rebounds,” Fulks said. “We did a good job on the boards contesting everything. Rebound the ball and keep it up. Everyone try to be available to get the ball out. We had good looks at the other end.”

Fulks used Yeast in a different manner and she came through with eight points and eight rebounds.

“Give Timberlynn a lot of credit,” Fulks said. “We changed people, put them in different spots for who carries the load in the backcourt. We tried to mix it up. We did an awesome job. We’ll take away a lot from this game. It was such a great crowd. We have awesome fans. The Sweetheart Clinic. It was a fun day on campus.”

Zion Shannon led Arkansas State with 17 points. Tarver finished with 10. The visitors made just 19-of-74 shots for 25.7 percent shooting.

Marshall’s next game is Thursday at Georgia Southern. The Eagles won Saturday and share the Sun Belt lead with Troy. The Herd is a half-game back.

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Marshall basketball has entered the homestretch of the regular season.

The Herd have a busy schedule for the foreseeable future, and are back in action at 8:30 p.m. Saturday with a nationally-televised contest at Georgia Southern. The clash between the Herd and Eagles will be shown on ESPNU.

It’s a fairly quick turnaround for Marshall (16-9, 8-4 Sun Belt) after the Herd came from behind to win 81-79 at Old Dominion on Wednesday.

It’s an even quicker turnaround for Marshall before its next matchup, which comes Monday in Huntington against South Alabama for a makeup contest that was postponed January 24.

With a win in Statesboro, Marshall stays in the thick of the race for a Sun Belt Conference regular season championship.

Appalachian State, which lost to the Herd in Huntington, is atop the league with a 10-4 mark, followed by Troy at 9-4. South Alabama and Marshall are in a two-way tie for third place entering the weekend.

Marshall leads its all-time series with Georgia Southern 14-4 and won both meetings last season.

Georgia Southern (14-12, 6-7) suffered an 81-65 loss to Appalachian State on Wednesday, extending the Eagles’ losing streak to three games.

Charlie Henry is in his third season as head coach of the Eagles and has a 40-52 record.

Guard Spudd Webb leads GSU with an average of 16 points, while guard Tyren Moore averages 13.9 points and forward Alden Applewhite is the third double-figure scorer at 12.5.

Applewhite tops the Eagles with 5.8 rebounds on average.

The Eagles average 8.2 steals and force opponents into 14 turnovers per game.

Wyatt Fricks is Marshall’s top scorer at 14.9 points after pouring in 24 at ODU. Fricks has 62 points across his last three contests and has scored in double figures 14 of the last 15 games.

Guards Noah Otshudi (14.6) and Jalen Speer (14.4) hardly trail Fricks’ team-high scoring mark. 

Center Matt Van Komen has missed the last three games with a foot injury and remains Marshall’s top rebounder at 7.6, while Fricks averages just south of six boards.

An ability to share the ball and play for each other has often been on display from Marshall, which is averaging 17 assists, thanks in large part to Speer, who leads the Sun Belt with 146.

Marshall leads its all-time series with Georgia Southern 14-4 and won both meetings last season.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — In the first game on its home floor this month, the Marshall women appeared quite comfortable, racing to a 19-point lead over Georgia State by halftime.

In the third quarter and parts of the fourth, the Thundering Herd attack stalled a bit with turnovers, missed shots and the visiting Panthers went on scoring runs instead of droughts. Marshall saw a one-time lead of 21 points dwindle to eight.

Up stepped Meredith Maier to get the Herd back on track and force the Panthers to experience scoring droughts again. The senior drained a three-pointer with 4:32 left to make it 65-54 and added a four-point play to make it a 15-point margin on the way to Marshall’s 71-56 victory at Cam Henderson Center.

“There were times it wasn’t really pretty, but we tried to do some different things in terms of lineups,” Marshall head coach Juli Fulks said. “I thought we played really well in the first half, and then it got really physical and there were things I wish we did a little better. But, overall we got some stops when we needed it, we rebounded the ball unbelievably well in the first half, so that was really good. Once it got tight, Meredith hit a couple big threes which kind of helped stretch it out which was good. Overall I thought it was a decent effort and we needed to get that game.”

Timaya Lewis-Eutsey led Marshall (21-6, 11-3 Sun Belt) with 19 points. Maier finished with 18 and Peyton Ilderton scored 15 on five three-pointers.

“It never feels comfortable when it goes from 20 to eight,” Fulks said. “We had a couple of turnovers in that run. And there were a couple of plays at the rim. I thought we got good looks. One of the things that’s true in college basketball is if you miss a layup, most often you get beat at the other end of the court. We had a couple of those. At that point, you’ve got to be able to get a stop and you’ve got to be able to go score.”

The Panthers (9-16, 4-9 SBC) made just one of their final eight shots and turned the ball over four times.

“Coming out of the half we knew how physical they were going to take it,” Eutsey-Lewis said. “One of the things Meredith said is be ready for their physicality and move the ball. And then we were able to find her. When it got close just don’t make anything easy.”

Being strong mentally in trying times has become a positive for the Herd.

“With the whole team this year we’ve been mentally strong. I think we kind of lacked that last year,” Maier said. “When we get in those close moments, we know how to handle them. We were able to stay composed. Although we did turn it over a couple of times, we knew we were able to get the ball back in our hands and make a decision with it. It could’ve been a different story, but we all stayed composed and knew how to finish the game.”

The Herd is back in action Saturday at home against Arkansas State, which shares first place in the standings with Troy and Georgia
Southern. Those three are each 11-2 in the SBC. Game time is 1 p.m.

Fulks and her team can now focus on Arkansas State. The Herd also has two games with Georgia Southern later in the month.

“The atmosphere is going to be super,” Fulks said. “When you look at the rest of the schedule, we’ve got Arkansas State and Georgia Southern twice. Big games ahead of us. I’ve been thinking of our worst case and those are the teams we’re going to be playing (SBC Tournament next month in Pensacola, Fla.). We have a good idea of the plan. We have to figure out what’s working and keep extending it. One thing is [Lewis-Eutsey and Maier] and Peyton are going to have to stay together. When you play Arkansas State, they’re going to make some runs. You have to have the ability to stay together. Sometimes the best lesson is we’ll turn around to each other and say, ‘we’ve got this.’ ”

Maier was just happy to be home. Last week, the Herd played against South Alabama in Mobile and then traveled to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for a Saturday date against Central Michigan in the SBC-MAC Challenge.

“Refreshing for sure playing in this environment,” Maier said. “No long bus trip. This crowd is second to none. We put on a show to get the win. I love playing in this environment. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m glad we’re not packing up to go. No more laundry for a week.”

Maier made five of her seven attempts from three. She has now scored at least a dozen points in eight straight games. Ilderton’s five threes matched a season high. The Herd won the rebound battle, 44-34, with 14 on the offensive end.

The win ties Marshall for the third-most victories in a single-season in program history.

Grace Lanier led Georgia State with 16 points. Cheyenne Holloman added 15 and Eghosa Obasuyi scored 12.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — There is still several weeks of winter to endure, but a sure sign spring is around the corner is the impending start of college baseball season.

Marshall starts its 2026 campaign with four games to be played in a tournament at Kennesaw State (Ga.) this weekend. The Thundering Herd will first take on Evansville at 11 a.m. Friday and again at that time Saturday, before facing the host KSU Owls at 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.

The season-opening road trip continues into next weekend with games at The Citadel on February 20-21, against Navy in Columbia, SC., on February 22 and at Winthrop the following day.

Marshall’s home-opening series at Jack Cook Field is a three-game set slated for February 27-March 1 against Butler.

Marshall was chosen fourth in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason poll, behind 2025 College World Series participant Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss and Troy, each have which have received votes in various national top 25 preseason polls.

Fourth-year Marshall head coach Greg Beals takes the high prediction in stride.

“Preseason polls don’t mean a lot,” Beals said. “If you remember, we were picked 12th last year and finished fourth. What I do believe it is saying is that other people are noticing the energy and growth of Marshall baseball like all of us are feeling in Herd Nation. We are working hard and look forward to completing and building on this momentum.”

The Herd won eight of its final 10 games last season to finish 33-26 overall and 16-14 in the Sun Belt.

Perhaps the most critical part to success for Marshall this season will be strong pitching among starters and the bullpen. 

The Herd figure to benefit from the return of the weekend starting rotation in Bryce Blevins, Clint Moak and Griffin Miller, a 2025 All-Sun Belt second-team honoree. 

Blevins had a 6-6 record last season with 63 strikeouts, while Moak was 3-2 with a 5.46 earned-run average. Miller had impressive numbers with a 7-4 record, 3.46 ERA and team-high 68 strikeouts.

Marshall also features Drew Harlow, who pitched for the Herd in 2023, before transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne, where he was 12-2 with a 3.65 ERA and 125 strikeouts across 116 innings at the Division II level last season. Harlow returns to the Herd as a graduate student.

Marshall’s offensive pop will come from Jackson Halter, who returns after batting .284 and leading the Herd with 17 stolen bases in 2025. AJ Havrilla is the team’s returning leader in batting average (.287) and RBI (45). 

Sophomore Tyler Kamerer will also be a big contributor after he compiled a .271 batting average with 57 hits, including 13 doubles, a pair of triples and two homers to go with 32 RBIs last season.

Marshall will be challenged with non-conference matchups at Louisville, Kentucky and Ohio State and home-and-home series with Ohio, Morehead State and Virginia Tech.

Marshall and West Virginia will again meet three times this season — March 24 in Huntington, April 7 in Morgantown and May 5 at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston.

“We have put together a very competitive schedule,” Beals said. “It is designed to give us the strength of schedule necessary to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, provided we win our share of games. The Sun Belt schedule will always be tough, but we really focused on beefing up the midweek games with schools such as Kentucky, Louisville and Ohio State as well as WVU and Virginia Tech.

“We will again play WVU three times, with games in Morgantown, Huntington and Charleston. We will begin to play Virginia Tech both at home and at their place each season. The agreement with Kentucky includes a future game here at Marshall. Our beautiful Jack Cook Field is absolutely a key piece to making this happen.”

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Marshall resorted to a smaller lineup most of the second half and came up with a big rally to stun Old Dominion, 81-79, in Sun Belt Conference play Wednesday night at Chartway Arena.

The Monarchs (8-18, 4-9 Sun Belt), led by 56-39 with 17:23 left in the second half. A short time later, the Thundering Herd (16-9, 8-4) went small, featuring a lineup of Landen Joseph, Jalen Speer, Wilson Dubinsky and Caleb Hollenback to join 6-foot-10 Wyatt Fricks, who moved to center. Marshall utilized a zone defense that gave the home squad fits.

“We were trying to find a lineup,” Herd coach Corny Jackson said on postgame radio. “Our life was with that group. I liked what I saw, stuck with it and we were able to get it done.”

Speer, the top three-point shooter in the Sun Belt, hit from behind the arc with 3:54 left to give the Herd (16-9, 8-4 SBC) its first lead at 79-77. Joseph, a freshman guard, got a steal and basket with 1:08 on the clock for an 81-77 lead.

Jared Turner made a layup on a follow with 55 seconds left to bring the Monarchs within two. ODU got a break when the Herd got called for a shot clock violation that stood after a review with 25 seconds left, but it could not capitalize. That decision reversed a foul that had been called on the Monarchs, but they turned it over on their ensuing possession. 

With 12 seconds left, Speer missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the Monarchs got the rebound. After a timeout, Jordan Battle took a three just before the buzzer sounded, but it was off the mark.

Fricks led Marshall 24 points and career-high 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double. 

“In the first half, we had no answer,” Fricks said in a radio interview. “We were slow and got thumped. Once you get stagnant, the defense can stick with the ball. We woke up in the second half. We responded. We started moving. We played harder, faster, smarter. Communicated better. We set screens, drags. The defense makes mistakes when things like that happen. We had better overall chemistry. I’m a more natural forward. When I switch, a guard has to come out on me. I like it.”

Speer had 18 points to go with 10 assists. Noah Otshudi also scored 18, but the staring guard only played 7 minutes in the second half when the Herd went small.

Speer made 4 of 8 from three including the one late to put the Herd ahead.

“Told him after the game he’s got to make free throws,” Jackson said. “In the end we were able to pull it out.”

Marshall shot well from the floor in the second half, going 16 for 26, including 7 of 11 from three.

ODU, which led 47-34 at halftime, went the other way. Over the final 20 minutes, the Monarch shot 11 for 29 and 4 of 15 from three. The Monarchs made just one of their last eight shots and also suffered through a 4-plus minute scoreless drought earlier in the second half.

“They started fast,” Jackson said. “They were able to get downhill. We were searching. In the end, we made one or two more plays than they did.”

LJ Thomas led ODU with 18 points. Ketron Shaw added 16 and Caelum Swanton-Rodger scored 15 before he fouled out. Turner contributed 11. Swanton-Rodger did most of his in the first half.

Joseph closed with nine points and four rebounds. A couple of steals late proved big as well.

“He gets his hands on a lot of balls,” Jackson said. “He made some huge steals.”

Fricks went 8 of 14 and made two threes. He was 6 for 10 on free throws.

“Wyatt knows the system,” Jackson said of the senior. “He’s hard to guard at that five spot. On ball screens, he was able to get under the switch.”

ODU did capitalize on one of its first-half runs to take a 47-32 lead when Battle hit a three with 1:13 before halftime.

With the win, the Herd now leads the series overall 17-16. It is 11-5 in games in Norfolk.

Marshall played its third straight game without 7-foot-4 center Matt Van Komen. Van Komen, who leads the Sun Belt with 58 blocked shots, is sidelined with a foot injury.

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Marshall fell short in its quest to hand what is now college basketball’s last remaining unbeaten team its first loss, falling 90-74 on Saturday against Miami (Ohio).

The Thundering Herd must now refocus after putting a lot into a game that could’ve provided plenty of positive national attention, but instead amounted to a ninth loss.

A stretch of four road contests over five games and 11 days begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with a matchup at Old Dominion that will be carried by ESPN+.

For Marshall (15-9, 7-4 Sun Belt), the road trip continues Saturday with a nationally-televised game at Georgia Southern, followed by a makeup home game with South Alabama on Monday. 

“This is a gauntlet,” Herd head coach Cornelius Jackson said. “We’re playing on the road Wednesday and Saturday, but we won’t get home until early Sunday, and we have to get ready for a Monday home game.

“We have to keep guys fresh with seven games in 17 days leading to the conference tournament. We have to be locked in mentally and be physically ready as well.”

ODU (8-17, 4-8) has struggled, but gained confidence with a 78-72 win over Ohio on Saturday in the Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Challenge.

Despite having Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year Robert Davis Jr., Mike Jones’ Monarchs’ squad has found success tough to come by.

The Monarchs entered league play on a five-game skid and have endured another four-game losing streak since. Sun Belt wins have come over James Madison, Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State and Arkansas State.

Surprisingly, Davis isn’t averaging double figure scoring for Old Dominion, although he isn’t far off at 9.5 points. Last season, he averaged 15.6 points.

KC Shaw leads the Monarchs in scoring at 16.6 points, while Coastal Carolina transfer Jordan Battle averages 14.1 and Thomas follows at 11.

Noah Otshudi and Wyatt Fricks still lead Marshall in scoring at 14.5 points, closely followed by the 14.2 from guard Jalen Speer.

Matt Van Komen is the Herd’s top rebounder at 7.6 per game, but didn’t play last week due to a foot injury suffered in a win at Arkansas State on January 31. 

The Herd and Monarchs have each won 16 times in the series. 

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall players, coaches and fans found out Saturday why Miami (Ohio) is still one of two unbeaten and nationally-ranked teams in the country.

The RedHawks took control early, raced to a 41-17 lead late in the half, saw the Thundering Herd close within nine points twice midway through the second half, then righted the course and made the necessary plays to knock off Marshall, 90-74, Saturday in the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Conference Challenge in front of 5,475 fans in Cam Henderson Center.

Miami (24-0, 11-0) extends the longest winning streak in MAC history. The other unbeaten team is No. 1 Arizona.

“They were the better team. They came out and imposed their will,” Marshall coach Corny Jackson said. “They got a big lead in the first half. We came out and did some pretty good things in the second half, but we can’t get down that big.

“At the end of the day, they’re playing like the No. 23 team in the country for a reason,” the Herd’s Wyatt Fricks said.

Miami, which averages nearly 93 points a game, did the damage again with balanced scoring. Eian Elmer led the RedHawks with 18 points. Peter Suder added 17, Antwone Woolfolk 15 and Luke Skaljac 12 to go with seven assists. An Almar Atlason totaled 10.

“We got matched up for a reason,” RedHawks coach Travis Steele said. “We knew it’d be a heck of a battle. We knew we’d get their best punch. Offense started off tremendous. Defense did a good job. Gave them a different picture and they got no rhythm.”

Three of Miami’s previous five games were one-possession wins, including a 73-71 win at Buffalo on Tuesday night. But the RedHawks had little trouble in this one. Miami shot 56 percent from the floor in the first half, including a dozen layups, and built a 49-31 halftime lead. 

“We’ve got to come out better,” Fricks said. “We can’t come out every time and play the second half. They bothered us tonight. I’m not speaking for everyone, but give credit to the fans. They were engaged all the way. You could really feel the energy in the arena. It’s a blessing to have the fans. It just wasn’t our day.”

Marshall (15-9) once went 10 minutes between baskets in its first home game against a ranked foe in 11 years. The Herd’s Erich Harding was called for lane violations on three free throws in the first half.

In the second half, the Herd pulled within nine twice, 65-56 on a layup by Landen Joseph at 9:04 and 67-58 on a Noah Otshudi basket with 7:16 to play. The home team would get no closer.

“We knew they would respond,” Steele said. “They’re (players) totally unflappable. We executed a little better on offense and defense. We outscore teams. We can score in a lot of ways. Need that identity on defense, too. They understand what we’re trying to do.”

Marshall returns to SBC action Wednesday against Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va.

Fricks played despite battling flu-like symptons. Jackson said it was a game-time decision to start him.

“He showed some toughness,” Jackson said. “They were better. Their discipline is strong. You make mistakes and they make you pay.”

Fricks wanted on the floor regardless of health.

“I kind of pushed through it,” Fricks said. “It was a great opportunity for myself. You [have] a great team coming in here and you don’t want to miss something like that.”

Jackson wished his team had put forth a better effort.

“Huge game for our crowd,” Jackson said. “These are the moments you live for. I appreciate our crowd stepping up, being loud trying to be our sixth man. I hope it’s a lesson learned, help us moving forward. We didn’t make the toughest plays. It says a lot about Wyatt. Landen gave us a big boost. They were the better guys. We need to bring some with them. They made all the tough plays. Beat us to 50-50 balls. Probably had 10 backdoor layups. We couldn’t win the battle that way.”

Otshudi led Marshall with 23 points, making 11-of-19 shots. Fricks had 16 and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jalen Speer contributed 13 and Joseph 11.

“We cut it to nine, but didn’t make the plays when needed,” Otshudi said. “It’s about making the right plays at the start. This is the kind of environment you dream of. Not the result we wanted. Turn the page now.”

Miami is 10-0 in road games to date. The RedHawks lead the series against Marshall, 49-29.

Miami’s next game is Friday at home against Ohio in the Battle of the Bricks. Game time is 9 p.m., and ESPN will show the game live.

Steele said his team didn’t change anything for this non-conference matchup.

“A great environment,” Steele said. “We play better on the road. The crowd was amazing. The (Marshall) students were great. Helps us get ready for the MAC Tournament.”

Steele said execution on defense contributed to the Herd going more than 10 minutes in the first half without a basket while the offense just did its job.

“We moved the ball efficiently,” Steele said. “On defense, we gave them different looks. Do the same thing and Speer can get going.”

Steele said his players remain loose while the success builds for the team and school.

“Glad to get the attention for us and the school,” he said. “Miami deserves it. It’s a beautiful school. Our group is easy to coach. They have blast. They stay focused and in the moment. It’s all about preparation.”

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Opportunity awaits Marshall on Saturday.

In the second part of the Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Challenge, the Thundering Herd are set to welcome unbeaten and 23rd-ranked Miami Ohio to the Cam Henderson Center for a 4 p.m. tip that will be shown on ESPN+.

Marshall (15-8, 7-4) picked up a hard-fought 81-77 Sun Belt Conference victory against Southern Miss on Wednesday behind a strong second half and four players in double figures, led by 25 points from Wyatt Fricks.

One night earlier, Miami survived with a 73-71 Mid-American Conference win at Buffalo.

Along with No. 1 Arizona, the RedHawks (23-0, 11-0 MAC) are one of two remaining unbeaten teams in Division I.

Marshall head coach Cornelius Jackson was pleased with the atmosphere inside the Henderson Center against the Golden Eagles and is hopeful a sellout crowd can make it even tougher on Miami and other future opponents.

“Be loud,” Jackson said. “We have a job to do and we understand that, but be the sixth man. After that game, sell out the next one. Let’s not just do it when Miami comes to town.

“We’re the show. Let’s do it for us. We’re looking forward to it and it’s a huge opportunity.”

Travis Steele is in his fourth season as RedHawks’ head coach and has a 75-46 record with the program. Steele previously was head coach at Xavier.

The Redhawks have made their mark this season as one of the nation’s top offensive squads. Miami averages nearly 93 points, shoots a blistering 53.6 percent overall, nearly 40 percent on three-pointers and just south of 77 percent on free throws.

Sophomore wing Brant Byers leads a balanced and prolific scoring attack at 15.2 points per game. There are five other RedHawks averaging double-figure scoring — senior guard Peter Suder (14.1), junior guard Evan Ipsaro (13.9), junior wing Eian Elmer (11.5), junior forward Almar Atlason (10.6) and senior forward Antwone Woolfolk (10.2). Elmer and Woolfolk are the Redhawks top rebounders.

Fricks (14.6 ppg), Jalen Speer (14.3) and Noah Otshudi (14.1) lead Herd scoring, while Matt Van Komen is tops in rebounding at 7.6. Van Komen did not play against Southern Miss.

Speer is leading the Sun Belt and is 29th in the nation in assists with an average of 5.8, and he’s had back-to-back games with eight.

Marshall and Miami have a long history on the hardwood based on common MAC membership through the years, and the RedHawks lead the all-time series, 48-29.

Saturday’s game marks Marshall’s first time welcoming a ranked foe since facing then-No. 25 Old Dominion in January 2015.

Marshall’s last win over a Top 25 team came when the Herd knocked off Wichita State in a first round NCAA Tournament matchup in 2018.

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Tony Gibson’s second recruiting class at Marshall features 43 players, most of whom committed during the December signing period or through the transfer portal, which was open for two weeks in January.

Of 43 recruits, 28 are transfers and 15 recently wrapped up their high school careers.

Among the signees, nine players are in the secondary, another nine are offensive linemen and eight are defensive linemen. The Herd also added six wide receivers.

“We are excited to add players to the Marshall football family and to have these guys enrolled in school and ready to go for the spring,” Gibson said. “This signing class addressed many of our needs and we have guys who can contribute immediately. The excitement for us is now seeing these guys on the field with spring practice less than a month away. It’s time to get to work.”

There were a few additions to the recruiting class Wednesday, including kicker Jorge Nicolas Diaz.

A native of Madrid, Spain, Diaz spent the 2025 season at Virginia, where he was a redshirt. He attended Saint James School in Maryland in 2024 and was 15-of-19 on field-goal attempts with a long of 53 yards as well as 45 touchbacks on kickoffs. Diaz was ranked No. 14 in the 2025 Kohl’s Kicker rankings.

Diaz figures to be challenged by a high school signee who grew up less than an hour from campus in Cooper Heimbach of Wheelersburg, Ohio. Heimbach was a 2025 MaxPreps first-team All-American and the 10th-ranked punter in the Class of 2026. Heimbach’s Wheelersburg team made it to the Ohio Division 5 championship game in December where it lost to traditional power Cardinal Mooney.

There are two West Virginia natives among Marshall’s high school signees — Huntington High lineman Mason Ramsey and Mingo Central receiver Aidan Burke.

Ramsey is widely considered a top 10 prospect in West Virginia and was an integral part of the Highlanders’ offensive success, often paving the way for a plethora of talented skill players.

Burke led Mingo Central in receiving last season with 37 receptions for 479 yards and three touchdowns. He also excelled on the back end defensively, finishing with 42 tackles, four interceptions, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He also returned seven punts for 111 yards.

There is much of a Morgantown flavor among Marshall’s addition by way of transfer. That group includes four former Mountaineers — offensive lineman and Huntington native Robby Martin, offensive lineman and South Charleston native Xavier Bausley, quarterback Khalil Wilkins and wideout Christian Hamilton. 

Martin and Hamilton figure to have a good chance to an make immediate impact, while Wilkins got valuable playing time in 2025 at WVU and will be sparring with returning starting quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson for fall playing time.

Marshall also added a group of Kentucky transfers in cornerback Aumad Edwards, defensive lineman Kenyatta Hardge III and running back Jamarion Wilcox.

Wilcox was a significant contributor at UK in 2024, when he rushed for 590 yards and two touchdowns.

Marshall will begin spring practice on March 2 and conclude it with the annual Spring Football Game on April 11.

The post With Gibson’s second Marshall recruiting class finalized, head coach eager to see who proves worth appeared first on WV MetroNews.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — At half, Marshall had made one three in 14 tries. Not good for the top long range shooting team in the Sun Belt Conference. 

Opponent Southern Mississippi, meanwhile held a 38-34 lead at the break largely on the strength of its six first-half triples. Not bad for one of the worst shooting teams from behind the arc in the league.

The second half was a far different story for both the Thundering Herd and Golden Eagles. Marshall went 7 for 9 from three over the final 20 minutes, while the visitors struggled from the outside as the game wore on while facing a zone, which slowed Southern Miss enough for the Herd to muster an 81-77 victory inside Cam Henderson Center.

While Marshall’s bench was instrumental in Saturday’s 70-61 win at Arkansas State, the team’s offensive catalysts were far better against the Golden Eagles.

Wyatt Fricks scored 25 points one game after totaling 6, and guard Jalen Speer finished with 15 points and eight assists one game after dishing out eight assists but shooting 0 for 7 and being held scoreless.

“Coming back to Huntington, I didn’t know Jalen didn’t score,” Herd head coach Corny Jackson said. “He had eight assists. We got the win. They’re unselfish. They do whatever it takes to win. They had it going and we didn’t have to go to the bench as much.

“Was big to be down four shooting the way we did the first half with one three. We were taking good shots, but not making them. Other than two or three, they weren’t bad shots. Can’t get nervous if you miss a few. Made seven the second half. We knew it’d be a tough game, not a walk in the park. Whoever makes plays and makes free throws wins. Protect home court and we did.”

Earlier Wednesday, after the shoot-around, Speer stayed behind and got in extra work.

“People don’t see that,” Jackson said.

“Let’s keep it going,” Speer said. “That’s how we end up with the win. My shots weren’t dropping early. Had to figure things out. Got some rebounds and did other things. Got to find a way to get it sooner.”

Marshall (15-8, 7-4 Sun Belt) trailed 51-46 with 12:45 left when Djahi Binet connected on a three. From that point, Marshall started to turn the tide in its favor. Fricks drained a three from the corner with 11:31 on the clock to give the Herd the lead for good at 52-51.

“I thought the guys stepped up,” Jackson said. “If you look at the numbers, they’re big. That’s what good teams do. Find ways to will the win.”

With 3 minutes left, Erich Harding made 1-of-2 free throws to put the Herd up 72-62. 

Southern Miss (12-13, 6-7) wouldn’t go away. The Golden Eagles got the deficit to 78-75 on a Binet follow with 18 seconds left. After a Herd turnover, Israel Hart got off a three to tie and missed, but Dylan Brumfield got the rebound and scored to make it 78-77.

The visitors quickly fouled and sent the Herd’s Noah Otshudi to the foul line. He made the first, missed the second and Southern Miss knocked the ball out of bounds. Otshudi got fouled again with 0.2 on the clock and sank both free throws to ice the win.

“We gave them the formula,” Jackson said. “They decided to make plays.”

Wednesday’s game proved physical as the teams combined for 47 fouls. The Golden Eagles piled up 25 to 22 for the Herd.

“Almost every game in the Sun Belt is physical,” Fricks said. “They pressure you. We’ve got to handle it a little bit better. They took away some things. We got the win and that’s what matters.”

The Herd played its share of zone defense and their execution caused the Eagles to cool off until late.

“They hit some threes,” Jackson said. “Had the zone press and got back in the zone in the second half. Had them trying to figure it out. A big change in the rhythm of the game.”

Binet led Southern Miss with 31 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added 15 rebounds. He also went 12 of 12 at the foul line. Hart and Brumfield each scored 11 and Curt Lewis 10. Tylik Weeks, third in the Sun Belt in scoring at 17.8 points, was held to four points on one field goal and turned it over six times.

Next up is a home game Saturday against national-ranked and unbeaten Miami Ohio (23-0) in the back half of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge. Start time is 4 p.m., and a sellout is expected.

“We have the best fans in the Sun Belt,” Jackson said. “Tell them I said it. Now I can talk about the next game. Didn’t before because this was the next game and a league game. We have a huge opportunity. They’re coming to our house. It’s big for our program.”

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