Nine of Erica Woods’ Marshall University Women’s Basketball teammates found the scoreboard, with only 11 active players four finishing in double digits, as Marshall defended its home court by defeating Davis & Elkins, 86-72 at Cam Henderson Center.
Woods missed her second straight game with the injured ankle, Woods limped off the floor after contact under the Marshall Basket during the Marshall University’s victory over Wofford on December 20th, was hoping to return to the line-up, was not suited up for the game.
Using the same starters as the last three games, Marshall opened on a 15-to-3 run, holding Davis & Elkins scoreless from the 18:37 mark until 13:51. Marshall quickly pulled players off the bench, with Chukwuka Ezeigbo returning for the first time since December 9th. Ezeigbo missed four games due to a family emergency.
Marshall held a 12-point lead twice in the first half, but Davis & Elkins fought back and cut the Marshall lead to 40-35 at the break. Davis & Elkins found momentum at the beginning of the second half, going up by two points at 42-40 with 18 minutes left to play. The score would tie five times with three lead changes within the next 10 minutes, until Marshall finally pushed ahead, 61-59, with 8:14 to go.
Junior AJ Johnson played a pivotal role in Marshall's second-half momentum, grabbing two crucial steals and making one assist in Marshall’s fight to keep the lead with 7:24 remaining. She scored eight of her 12 points in the second half, including two three-pointers. Marshall's largest lead of 16 came with 5:21 on the clock, 75-59. Despite Davis & Elkins 10-to-0 run from 5:08 to 3:26, the Herd held on to win by 14, with the buzzer sounding at 86-72 in Marshall's favor.
Leah Scott sunk 14 of her career-high 20 points in the second period, and freshman Chelsey Romeo tied her career high of 16. Norrisha Victrum added 12 to round out the quartet of double-digit scorers. Freshman guard Enjonae Chambers scored her first collegiate points and added a steal in two minutes played.
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