— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Middle Tennessee State scored the final six points in the closing minute of the game to erase a four-point deficit and escape with the win, 81-79, over a stunned Marshall team in Conference USA action Thursday night at Cam Henderson Center.
The outcome in front of 3,864 thus continues to make the Thundering Herd family wonder when this ongoing nightmare will come to an end.
The Blue Raiders (13-6, 4-2 C-USA) have a share of the East Division lead. The Herd (7-13, 0-7 C-USA) stays in the East cellar and its losing streak reaches 10, now the longest under a D’Antoni-coached team.
“Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, what can I say,” D’Antoni said at the start of his postgame visit with the media. “We should’ve had that one. It’s on us. We’ve got to cut down on mental mistakes. Little mistakes at crucial times. We’ve got to be more mentally locked in, get where mental mistakes don’t cost us.”
Taevion Kinsey made two free throws with 1:03 to play to put Marshall ahead 79-75. Earlier the Herd’s Obinna Anochili-Killen missed a layup with 1:58 to play that would’ve made the lead then 79-73.
Middle Tennessee stayed alive thanks to a three-point shot by Donovan Sims with 52 seconds to play to get within one (79-78). Kinsey then missed for the Herd with 24 seconds to go.
With six seconds left, David Early fouled Camryn Weston and he made both free throws to give the Blue Raiders the lead 80-79. The Herd got the ball to Andrew Taylor for the possible game-winner just before the final buzzer, but he missed and didn’t draw a foul. Teafale Lenard then got fouled and hit one of two free throws to set the final margin and end Middle Tennessee’s six-game losing streak against Marshall. The overall series is now 12-9 in favor of the Blue Raiders.
“We have to be able to finish out a game,” the Herd’s Mikel Beyers said. “When we get one, we’ll know what it feels like.”
Getting that breakthrough won’t be easy as the Herd’s next game is Saturday at home against Alabama-Birmingham. UAB took 16-4 overall, 6-1 C-USA West records into Thursday’s game at Western Kentucky.
“Have to be as positive as I can,” D’Antoni said. “It’s hard on me, the team, the fans. We’ll work as hard as we can Friday to get ready for UAB. We played hard. We’ve got to lock in. Mentally we have to do a better job. We’re right there. Hope the Herd fans stay with us, help push us through.”
Weston, who came off the bench, led the Blue Raiders with a career-high 19 points. Sims finished with 17, DeAndre Dishman 16 and Eli Lawrence 10. The visitors made 29-of-59 shots (7-of-20 threes) and 16-of-20 free throws. They led in bench points, 29-19; points off turnovers, 25-10; and points in the paint, 38-20.
Marshall, which has struggled shooting during the downturn, found the mark Thursday night. The Herd made 24-of-52 shots (10-of-22 threes) and 21-of-23 free throws (14-of-14 in the second half).
Taylor led Marshall with 22 points (four threes). Kinsey followed with 18, but hit just 3-of-10 shots. He compensated at the foul line going 12-of-13. Beyers, who did not play in the last three games, netted 12.
Marshall is now the only team in the league without a win. UTSA beat Florida International, 73-66, Thursday night to secure that first league victory.