— By Bill Cornwell
Trying to build momentum from a win against Old Dominion over the weekend, Marshall looks to remain undefeated in Conference USA pod play Thursday night when it plays at UAB.
The game at Bartow Arena tips at 8 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3.
Marshall (14-14, 8-7) is coming off a solid 74-66 home win over the Monarchs last Saturday, while the Blazers (16-12, 7-8) hope to recover this evening after suffering a 65-58 setback in their last outing at Florida Atlantic.
With last weekend’s victory, Marshall remains undefeated in the league’s bonus play over the last two seasons. The Herd went 4-0 last season in Conference USA’s first year experimenting with a system meant to elevate league power rankings.
The teams met earlier this season in Birmingham on Jan. 11, and UAB beat Marshall 61-50, limiting the Herd to its lowest point total of the season. Marshall was held to 33 percent shooting in that contest and managed only 30 points outside of leading scorer Taevion Kinsey scoring 20.
The Blazers are led in scoring by sophomore guard Toran Lovan and freshman guard Jalen Benjamin, who both average 12.7 points. Junior forward Makhtar Gueye is UAB’s leading rebounder at 5.2 per game.
On average, Marshall outscores UAB by eight points per contest, but the Blazers are the stronger defensive team, giving up only 64.6 points each game, compared to Marshall’s 71.9 ppg.
The Blazers also have the edge over Marshall in field goal percentage, three-point shooting percentage and free throw percentage, while Marshall ranks better in rebounding, assists, turnover, steals and blocks.
Marshall and UAB have met 29 times in the past and the Blazers have a 21-8 series advantage.
After tonight’s game, the Herd is off until Wednesday, when FAU comes to the Henderson Center for the final regular season home game.