Memphis 71, Marshall 59
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Adonis Thomas scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the No. 22 Memphis Tigers to a 71-59 win over Marshall on Saturday night at the Cam Henderson Center.
The win, Memphis' 16th straight, likely will be the Tigers' last in Huntington as Marshall's conference opponent. Memphis moves from Conference USA to the Big East next season. The Tigers lead their series with the Thundering Herd 13-2, winning the last five. Three of the last four Memphis wins have been by double digits.
Up by 17 points at halftime, the Tigers (22-3, 10-0 C-USA) made just one of their first 10 shots of the second half. That allowed the Herd (11-15, 4-7 C-USA) to carve into that lead. When Elijah Pittman made a free throw with 10:44 left in the game, Marshall pulled to within five points at 46-41.
But Geron Johnson answered with a 3-pointer for Memphis with 10:30 left, and another 3-pointer with 8:22 left capped a 7-2 run that gave the Tigers a 56-43 lead and breathing room for the rest of the game.
Pittman and DeAndre Kane led the Herd with 16 points each, while Dennis Tinnon added 15 points and 13 rebounds. Joe Jackson scored 12 points for Memphis, while Johnson added 11.
Marshall jumped out to a quick lead, energized by a loud Henderson Center crowd. Back-to-back 3-pointers by juniors Pittman and D.D. Scarver gave the Thundering Herd a 10-3 lead less than three minutes into the game. Yet, as quickly as Marshall's hot streak started, it fizzled.
After Scarver hit his 3-pointer at the 17:43 mark, Memphis outscored the Herd 24-5 in the next 10:10. The Tigers started the run close to the basket, making seven of their first 10 shots inside the arc. They followed with two 3-pointers from sophomore swingman Adonis Thomas.
By the time Tinnon scored on a layup with 7:32 left in the half, the Herd's seven-point lead had devolved into a 27-17 deficit. Thomas finished the first half with 15 points, more than four points above his season average, and Memphis went into halftime with a 43-26 lead.
NOTES: Kane passed Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Hal Greer for 19th on Marshall's career scoring list after hitting a 3-pointer with 15:43 left in the first half. ... Saturday was the first time Marshall coach Tom Herrion faced a ranked opponent on his home court. In four seasons as coach at College of Charleston and three at Marshall, he never had the opportunity. ... The Tigers' arrival in Huntington gave Memphis coach Josh Pastner one more trip to the state of his birth. Pastner was born in Glen Dale, W. Va., in the northern panhandle, on Sept. 26, 1977.
