— By David Walsh
If Dan D’Antoni worked as a school teacher, he’d have an easy time grading Taevion Kinsey and Andrew Taylor for their performances Saturday in Marshall’s Sun Belt Conference win over Georgia State, 88-77, in front of 1,913 fans at the GSU Convocation Center in Atlanta.
“A plus plus, A plus,” D’Antoni said of marks for Kinsey and Taylor, the Thundering Herd veterans who combined for 63 points. “TK’s almost perfect. Andy’s right there. Some people don’t get it. It’s their sense of self-determination. They’re two leaders who are willing to lead this team through. It’s their leadership.”
Kinsey finished with a career-high 37 points to best his previous best of 31. He made 12-of-19 shots and 12-of-14 free throws. Taylor, who had a career-high 33 in Thursday’s win at Coastal Carolina, backed that up with 26 as he made 10-of-19 shots, including a team-high five three-pointers. Jacob Conner was next with 9 on three threes.
Marshall improved to 21-6, 10-4 in the SBC. The last time the Herd had this many wins in a season came in 2016-17 when it won 21 in the regular season under D’Antoni.
Georgia State is 10-16, 3-11 in the SBC.
Kinsey entered the game the leading scorer in the SBC.
“Playing the game I always play,” Kinsey said of his single-game best outing in a Herd uniform. “Let the game come to me, not force anything. I’m one of the seniors. Sometimes you have to take control. That’s what I had to do. The shots were falling.”
D’Antoni said he expected Georgia State to give a better account of itself than it did on Jan. 28 when the Herd won, 103-65, in Huntington.
“They were a lot tougher,” D’Antoni said. “We knew we’d get a different team. They’re athletic. This is not an easy league.”
Jamaine Moore led the Panthers with a career-high 28 points. He had the team’s three threes compared to 11 which the Herd netted. Dwon Odom and Brenden Tucker added 14 points each and Ja’Heim Hudson 12.
Kinsey said it’s almost natural for him and Taylor to work in tandem since they’ve been together so long.
“We feed off each other,” Kinsey said. “We have the chemistry. We’ve been playing together forever. He stays calm, so poised. In the second half he really got going. Tonight we both were on.”
Taylor said it was a matter of the Herd bringing the energy for the back half of a Thursday-Saturday twinbill.
“Today the energy was here,” Kinsey said. “You’ve got to keep playing, stick to the game plan.”
Kinsey and D’Antoni both love seeing Taylor convert on this running one-handers, floaters or scoop shots around the basket using either hand.
“That shot off the glass. That’s his shot,” Kinsey said of Taylor. “He has an unorthodox game. I’m not sure how you guard him. He can do it with both hands. He puts the time in. The defender just has to live with it.”
“He’s been doing that a while,” D’Antoni said. “I get to sit and take all the criticism about I don’t know how you let him do this. If you show me you can do something, I’m with you.”
Marshall ended the first half Saturday on a 6-0 run for a 43-37 lead at the break. Georgia State hung around in the second half, getting even at 54 on and Odom basket with 13:08 left. Taylor followed with a three-point play with 12:34 to put Marshall ahead to stay, 57-54. The Panthers closed to within six twice late, but the Herd had enough to complete the season sweep.
Kinsey knows the Herd can display more than a two-man scoring parade.
“Let the game come to them,” he said. “Work and believe in yourself. Take the shot you’re comfortable with. You’ll be fine.”
Marshall went 3-1 this road trip, now returns home for the final two home games of the regular season. The Herd takes on Georgia Southern on Southern on Thursday and Troy on Saturday. Both games at Cam Henderson Center start at 7 p.m.
“I love playing in Huntington, always have,” said D’Antoni, former guard for the Herd. “Im riding this team. They’re taking me places.”
“My last two home games,” Kinsey said. “I know the Cam will be rocking.”