Despite four double-digit scoring performances by Marshall Players including Erica Woods, they fell in the final seconds to the Indiana State Sycamores for its third consecutive loss, at Cam Henderson Center.
It was a tale of two halves, as the first 20 minutes saw 11 lead changes with four ties. Indiana State’s largest lead of the game came at the 14-minute mark in the first half, when the Sycamores led by five. Marshall eventually found an offensive spark, fueled by an 11-0 run from the 8:43 mark to 6:13, and led by as many as 18 points in the first half. The first-half buzzer sounded with Marshall on top, 39-23, putting Marshall’s 16-point margin as its largest halftime lead of the season.
Marshall’s largest lead of the game came with 8:27 remaining in the second half, when an Woods layup put the up, 62-42. Indiana State immediately countered with a 16-0 run that lasted from 8:08 to 4:04, cutting the Herd’s lead to only four. That span saw one three-pointer, four field goals and five free throws from Indiana State, opposite five turnovers and three fouls by Marshall.
Indiana State kept climbing, cutting Marshall’s lead to 67-66 with 0:36 on the clock, and a foul put Lashonda Littleton at the line with 0:01.7 remaining. She sunk both, and Marshall ran out of time to lose in heartbreaking fashion, 68-67.
Even with the loss, two Marshall players had career games, with freshman McKenzie Akers shooting 3-of-4 from behind the arc and finishing with 10 points, while fellow freshman Chelsey Romero put seven points on the board.
Akers, Woods, Chukwuka Ezeigbo and Leah Scott each had double-digit scoring performances, with Woods leading all eight Marshall scorers with a season-high 13 points. Woods also contributed a career-high seven assists, and matched her career three-point total by going 3-of-3 from three-point land.
Indiana State led by a slim margin on the boards, 40-36, and shot 43 free throws to the Herd’s 16. Marina Laramie had a double-double for Indiana State with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir led all scorers with 17 points.
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