— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Coastal Carolina coach Cliff Ellis had a question for Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni a few minutes after Saturday afternoon’s Sun Belt Conference game ended.
“Where’d you get No. 5?,” Ellis asked in the back of the Cam Henderson Center.
Ellis was referring to Micah Handlogten, the Thundering Herd’s 7-foot-1 freshman from Huntersville, N.C. He played last year and Southlake Christian Academy. The Herd got in early on him and he found his way to Marshall.
Saturday, Coastal Carolina players had to be asking where No. 5 was.
The answer was all over the Henderson Center worrying the heck out of the Chanticleers players and Ellis, and the damage Handlogten inflicted played a major role in Marshall’s 81-66 victory to snap a two-game losing streak and surpass the team’s win total from a year ago.
Handlogten totaled 20 points and 19 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. He also blocked all five shots for the Herd (13-4, 2-2 Sun Belt). His performance more then delighted the crowd of 4,672.
The safest time for the visitors is when Handlogten went to the bench. That time was limited as he logged 37-plus minutes on the floor.
“What can I say,” said D’Antoni. “We got on him early. I’m glad we did.”
The Herd, with Handlogten’s presence, enjoyed a 53-38 edge on the boards. Of that total, 20 were offensive and Handlogten had nine of them.
Taevion Kinsey, who led the Herd with 27 points, said letting Handlogten perform made the difference.
“Today they let him play,” Kinsey said. “He controls the glass like a man. He had a soft touch around the rim. He has the determination to challenge. On that one block (the Chanticleers had shot near the basket that Handlogten swatted over their bench), he save me. I liked that block.”
Handlogten basked in the moment, his best to date in a Herd uniform. He gave Coastal Carolina big man Essam Mostafa fits. Mostafa stands 6-10 and closed with 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting and five rebounds.
“I credit a lot to practice and the guys and speed I go up against,” Handlogten said. “They killed us this week. Goran (Miladinovich) helps me a lot.”
The Herd’s Andrew Taylor finished with 17 points. Kinsey added nine assists and five rebounds.
Antonio Daye Jr. led the Chanticleers with 15 points. Linton Brown had 11 and Jomaru Brown 10 to along with Mostafa. For the game, the visitors (7-8, 1-3 Sun Belt) shot 37 percent from the field (33 percent).
And the Herd enjoyed a quick start compared to Thursday when it fell behind big in the first half at Georgia Southern, battled back in the second but came up short, 81-76.
“The fast start finally,” Kinsey said. “That’s what we do best, where we’re at our best. We want to throw the first punch. When we throw the first punch, it’s hard to catch up.”
“ I build off the whole team,” Handlogten said. “We didn’t want a losing streak like last year. I loved it all. The crowd going crazy. It’s great.”
Marshall had a 17-point lead midway through the second half, saw the Chanticleers get eight straight to get within nine, but that was it. The Herd got the next six points and capitalized the foul line at the end when Coastal Carolina had to foul.
“Close it. We’ve got to finish games,” Kinsey said. “Strong down the stretch. Ran the correct plays.”
D’Antoni had a simple view about the game’s outcome.
“We brought the juice,” he said. “Having the lead is better than being down 12 at the half. This game is based on intensity. Play hard every game.”
The Herd is off until Thursday when Southern Miss visits. Tip has been moved to 9 p.m. and ESPN2 will now air the game live.