Wake Forest University
Marshall
Women's Basketball Falls To Marshall, 60-49
12/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2003
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team took a three-point lead into halftime, but was not able to overcome its poor shooting in the second half as Marshall pulled away late for a 60-49 victory.
With the Deacs trailing 50-49 with only 1:49 left in regulation, the Thundering Herd closed the game on a 10-0 run. Marshall improves to 4-0 for the first time in 20 years, while the Deacs (3-2) drop their second straight after opening the season 3-0.
Marshall outrebounded Wake Forest (3-2) 49-34 to pick up its third win in school history over an Atlantic Coast Conference team and first since the 1981-82 season when it began the season 2-0 with wins over the Demon Deacons and Duke University.
The Herd also benefitted from a significant free throw differential to secure the win. Marshall not only went to the line 39 times in the game as opposed to 14 for Wake, but the Herd took 30 free throws in the second half, while the Demon Deacons attempted only seven.
Senior Tonia Brown paced the Deacs' attack. The guard scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists and registered two steals. Brown also nailed a pair of 3-pointers - moving her into sole possession of third place on the all-time list for career 3-point field goals with 120.
In its previous four games, Wake Forest had at least three players in double figures, but Brown was the lone double figure scorer Tuesday night. Sophomore Liz Strunk added seven points and nine rebounds, while junior Erin Ferrell scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench.
Herd senior Catie Knable grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points for her first double-double of the season. Fellow senior Amy Smith tied for the game-high point output with 15 points, matching Wake Forest's Tonia Brown in that category.
Wake led 25-22 at the half, but Marshall surged past the Deacs on a 9-0 run to take a 31-27 lead with 16:19 to play, highlighted by a 3-point field goal by sophomore Sikeetha Shepard-Hall.
The Deacs shot only 31.6% (18-for-57) from the field and committed 17 turnovers.
Herd freshman Jameka White scored a career-high 11 points and was 5-for-7 from the free throw line.
Marshall drew 4,234 fans to the Henderson Center in its third annual Jam the Cam promotion. The Herd's last two Jam the Cams have produced the Mid-American Conference's single-game attendance records for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
The Deacs return to action Friday night for it ACC opener against #4 Duke. Tipoff at the Joel Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m.
