— By David Walsh
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.