— By David Walsh
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.”