Print |
E-mail to a friend
SPORTS
Herd carries momentum into Capital Classic
Marshall fans cheer during the Herd's game against East Carolina Saturday, January 10, 2009, at the Cam Henderson Center.
Purchase this photoRelated:
HUNTINGTON -- Marshall and West Virginia men's basketball games are always high-energy affairs.
When the teams meet for the 37th time Wednesday night in Charleston the players will be juiced up, the coaches will be intense and the fans will be wild.
West Virginia has won 26 of the meetings, but most of the games were close which only adds to the emotion.
Marshall (8-7) wants to capture the enthusiasm that helped the Thundering Herd beat East Carolina in a Conference USA game Saturday and use it against the Mountaineers (11-4)
Freshman guard Dago Pena was on the Cam Henderson Center court Saturday making plays, pumping his fist and firing up the crowd of 5,176 in the 72-64 victory.
Donnie Jones talks a lot about his time on the University of Florida bench when the Gators won back-to-back men's basketball national championships.
Now, he's talking about Florida football and the winning attitude of quarterback Tim Tebow, who led the Gators past the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS Championship Game. Tebow plays with the passion the Marshall coach wants from his players.
"Dago gave us that lift," Jones said. "He's pumping his fist. That got (forward) Tyler Wilkerson inspired and he started playing hard."
Pena came off the Thundering Herd bench for a season-high 14 points in a season-best 24 minutes. He matched his best game with five rebounds.
His most inspiring play came after East Carolina built an eight-point lead early in the second half. Marshall's Markel Humphrey made a leaping deflection of a pass near mid-court. Pena took the loose ball in for a layup and completed a three-point play that put the Thundering Herd within one.
Marshall took the lead shortly after that, and forged ahead to stay with about six minutes left in the game.
"This guy (Pena) plays hard," Wilkerson said while putting his arm around Pena in the post-game interview session.
Wilkerson had 24 points and 10 rebounds in his fourth double-double performance of the season. Humphrey added 11 points and six rebounds.
East Carolina (9-6) made 10 of its 3-point shots, but only two in the final 10 minutes.
James Legan and Sam Hinnant for the Pirates scored 16 and 14 respectively while Jamar Abrams had 13 points. Legan and Abrams both had three 3-point baskets and Hinnant had two.
"We came out in the second half, bent down and turned them into drivers," Wilkerson said.
Marshall shot at least 50 percent (54.8) for the sixth time in eight home games and is 7-1 at home.
The Herd made 22 of 25 free throws and was plus-17 in rebounds.
