— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Play the first 30-35 minutes the way you played the final 5 and the direction of the conversation has a chance to be different.
Toledo dominated inside in the first half, kept up the pace at the start of the second half and found itself ahead, 82-65, over Marshall with 4:54 left to play in Saturday’s matinee at Cam Henderson Center.
First-year Herd head coach Cornelius Jackson turned to his bench for help and got it from freshman Will Moore. He canned three three-pointers, the third with 1:34 left, to trim the Toledo advantage to 86-80. Moore then had a turnover, foul and missed three while the Rockets converted key free throws down the stretch and got a resounding dunk from Javan Simmons to punctuate a 90-80 victory in front of 3,759 fans.
“I told the players we need to learn to play a full game,” Jackson said. “We’re down 15, come back and for the second game we didn’t shoot well. We played in spurts and they’re one of those teams you can’t do that. You can’t let shotmaking dictate our defense and energy. We’ll watch and work to clean it up. We’ve got a quick turnaround.”
Moore hit 4-of-8 threes. The Herd finished 9 for 32 from behind the arc.
“Some of our guys were not making shots. Let’s put the freshman in and see what happens, see what he has. He stepped up,” Jackson said.
“Every time I go in coach says shoot,” Moore said. “It’s a part of my game. My teammates found me wide open and the shots went in.”
One of the major differences came in points in the paint where the Rockets (1-1) enjoyed a 52-36 spread. Isaiah Adams and Sam Lewis each scored 17 points to lead Toledo. Sonny Wilson and Simmons added 16 each and Seth Hubbard 15. The Rockets shot 52 percent from the field.
Nate Martin led the Herd (1-1) with 17 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Dezayne Mingo and Moore tallied 12 each, but they were the lone players in double figures. The Herd shot 40 percent from the field.
“We knew it would be a physical game,” Martin said. “We let them jump out a little too much too early. We didn’t match their physicality. Too little too late to come back from. That’s the focus next time. We’re down 17 and had spurts in the first 20 or 30 minutes, but it was not enough. It’s got to be the full 40 the next time.
Toledo, under veteran coach Ted Kowalczyk, lost its opener at Troy in the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge.
Kowalczyk is in his 15th season. The Rockets are seeking an unprecedented fifth straight Mid-American Conference title.
This game marked the ninth straight year the two have met in non-league play. The Herd, now in the Sun Belt Conference, is a former MAC member. Toledo leads the series 40-34 with wins in seven of the last eight meetings.
Marshall is back home Monday against Southern Indiana. Tip is 7 p.m. for the first meeting between the two schools. The four-game home stand wraps up next Saturday against Bellarmine.