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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Men’s Basketball squad (9-8, 2-2 SBC) triumphed in a match that went down to the last moments, securing an 80-78 victory over the James Madison Dukes (9-7, 2-2 SBC) on Thursday evening within the Cam Henderson Center. The Herd made a comeback from a halftime shortfall for the initial time this season.
“It was an enjoyable game, a great experience to be involved in. Exciting to watch and coach,” stated Herd Men’s Basketball Head Coach Corny Jackson following the game. “I am extremely proud of our players. They truly embraced the challenge tonight. It was an excellent team victory. The crowd was energized. They were louder than they’ve been all year, which really benefited our players. I’m not only proud of Cade but of the entire team tonight.”
As part of a 27-point performance, Jalen Speer made history by achieving a flawless 7-for-7 on three-point attempts, marking him as the sole player to shoot 100 percent from long-range with a minimum of seven successful attempts. The graduate student also stands out as the only player in the nation to achieve perfection from three with at least seven successful tries this season.
“Just believe in my preparation,” Speer commented regarding his remarkable performance. “I’ve experienced a few games where I lost faith during the season due to some challenges, but I just trust in my practice. My teammates, especially this guy (Cade Gibbs) next to me, supporting me, contribute to nights like this being hard to top.
After JMU’s Mark Freeman went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line with six seconds remaining, Marshall found themselves with the ball in a 78-78 tie. The Green and White pushed the ball down the court. Cade Gibbs attempted a shot but was fouled with just 1.1 seconds left.
The graduate transfer approached the free-throw line and converted both shots, contributing to a season-high 17 points and finishing 5-of-5 from the line, which put The Herd ahead 80-78. The native of Plainfield, Indiana, also finished 5-for-8 from the field.
“I had a comparable circumstance during a sectional in high school and unfortunately missed the first shot of a one-and-one,” Gibbs shared about his experience at the free-throw line with the game on the line. “Then they made a half-court shot to defeat us. That was my last game in high school. Since then, I’ve been practicing free throws constantly because I can’t let that happen again. Honestly, my mindset was that these weren’t the most pressure-packed free throws I’ve faced. It’s part of my routine. I’ve missed more critical ones. Just focus, put in the effort and give the glory to God.”
The Dukes launched a Hail Mary pass on the final inbound, but Dezayne Mingo secured his second steal to clinch the victory for Marshall.
The Herd recorded a season-best shooting percentage of 54.2 percent from beyond the arc with 13 made shots on 27 attempts.
MU led for the majority of the first half but found itself trailing 34-32 at halftime as JMU’s Xavier Brown made a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Marshall also fell behind by as much as four in the second half, successfully overcoming its first halftime deficit of the season.
Mikal Dawson complemented a trio of double-digit scorers, joining Gibbs with 17 points on a 7-of-16 shooting performance, including 3-for-5 from three. The Huntington, West Virginia, native was just two rebounds shy of a double-double, finishing with a game-high eight.
UP NEXT
The Herd concludes a four-game home stint on Saturday at 4 p.m. with a match against Georgia Southern.
For all the latest updates regarding Marshall Men’s Basketball, follow @Herd_MBB on Twitter and @herdmbb on Instagram.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University Men’s Basketball squad (9-8, 2-2 SBC) triumphed in a match that went down to the last moments, securing an 80-78 victory over the James Madison Dukes (9-7, 2-2 SBC) on Thursday evening within the Cam Henderson Center. The Herd made a comeback from a halftime shortfall for the initial time this season.
“It was an enjoyable game, a great experience to be involved in. Exciting to watch and coach,” stated Herd Men’s Basketball Head Coach Corny Jackson following the game. “I am extremely proud of our players. They truly embraced the challenge tonight. It was an excellent team victory. The crowd was energized. They were louder than they’ve been all year, which really benefited our players. I’m not only proud of Cade but of the entire team tonight.”
As part of a 27-point performance, Jalen Speer made history by achieving a flawless 7-for-7 on three-point attempts, marking him as the sole player to shoot 100 percent from long-range with a minimum of seven successful attempts. The graduate student also stands out as the only player in the nation to achieve perfection from three with at least seven successful tries this season.
“Just believe in my preparation,” Speer commented regarding his remarkable performance. “I’ve experienced a few games where I lost faith during the season due to some challenges, but I just trust in my practice. My teammates, especially this guy (Cade Gibbs) next to me, supporting me, contribute to nights like this being hard to top.
After JMU’s Mark Freeman went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line with six seconds remaining, Marshall found themselves with the ball in a 78-78 tie. The Green and White pushed the ball down the court. Cade Gibbs attempted a shot but was fouled with just 1.1 seconds left.
The graduate transfer approached the free-throw line and converted both shots, contributing to a season-high 17 points and finishing 5-of-5 from the line, which put The Herd ahead 80-78. The native of Plainfield, Indiana, also finished 5-for-8 from the field.
“I had a comparable circumstance during a sectional in high school and unfortunately missed the first shot of a one-and-one,” Gibbs shared about his experience at the free-throw line with the game on the line. “Then they made a half-court shot to defeat us. That was my last game in high school. Since then, I’ve been practicing free throws constantly because I can’t let that happen again. Honestly, my mindset was that these weren’t the most pressure-packed free throws I’ve faced. It’s part of my routine. I’ve missed more critical ones. Just focus, put in the effort and give the glory to God.”
The Dukes launched a Hail Mary pass on the final inbound, but Dezayne Mingo secured his second steal to clinch the victory for Marshall.
The Herd recorded a season-best shooting percentage of 54.2 percent from beyond the arc with 13 made shots on 27 attempts.
MU led for the majority of the first half but found itself trailing 34-32 at halftime as JMU’s Xavier Brown made a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Marshall also fell behind by as much as four in the second half, successfully overcoming its first halftime deficit of the season.
Mikal Dawson complemented a trio of double-digit scorers, joining Gibbs with 17 points on a 7-of-16 shooting performance, including 3-for-5 from three. The Huntington, West Virginia, native was just two rebounds shy of a double-double, finishing with a game-high eight.
UP NEXT
The Herd concludes a four-game home stint on Saturday at 4 p.m. with a match against Georgia Southern.
For all the latest updates regarding Marshall Men’s Basketball, follow @Herd_MBB on Twitter and @herdmbb on Instagram.
To stay updated on all Thundering Herd sports and access live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
—HerdZone.com—
This webpage was generated automatically. To view the article in its original format, you can visit the link below:
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