— By David Walsh
Marshall endured another poor shooting performance in the first half. In the second half, the Thundering Herd displayed a version of small ball, and showed a better shooting touch.
The Herd took its first lead with 2:30 left, before failing to close it out and remaining winless away from home as the Raiders made the clutch plays from that point on to secure an 88-79 win Wednesday night at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Marshall (5-5) trailed by double digits through the first 10 minutes of the second half, then started its comeback. The Herd went on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to one (75-74) on a three-point shot by Obinna Anochili-Killen with four minutes left.
Dezayne Mingo then hit a jumper to tie the game at 76-76 and Jakob Gibbs drained a shot with 2:30 to play to put Marshall up for the first time in the second half.
Jack Doumbia made two free throws with 2:19 left to tie the game, then he made one of two at 1:58 to put the Raiders ahead to stay 79-78. After a Mikal Dawson miss for Marshall, Doumbia converted a layup with 1:17 on the clock for an 81-78 lead.
Cade Gibbs sank one of two foul shots to get the Herd within two 81-79. Then Alex Huibregtse knocked down the shot of the night, a three-pointer with 42 seconds to go, and the lead went to five at 84-79. Dawson again missed for the Herd with 12 seconds left. The Herd fouled and Huibregtse converted two free throws for a 7-point cushion at 86-79. Marshall missed its final try and Doumbia got a dunk at the buzzer to set the final score.
“We gave ourselves a chance,” first-year Herd coach Corny Jackson said on postgame radio. “We started out really slow two games in a row. Once we get down we were determined do fight back. We need to start games that way. Once we get down, there’s that urgency. We need to start with that urgency and focus. I know I sound like a broken record. To beat a really good team on the road, they have three star players and they obviously performed, you have to bring it every night. No gimmes. This is a good ball club. I like our fight in the second half. I want to see that the whole game. We have to start putting games together.”
Brandon Noel led Wright State (7-5) with 21 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Doumbia closed with 20 points, his career high. Huibregste had 12 and Drey Carter 11.
Dawson paced Marshall with 20. Dezayne Mingo had 17 and Anochili-Killen and Cade Gibbs 11 each. Nate Martin, a who averages double figures, did not score and had just four rebounds. The Herd, which shot 32 percent with just two threes in the first half, made 18-of-33 shots in the second along with seven threes. Unfortunately, the Raiders had a better shooting half as well.
In the second half, Jakob Gibbs and Dawson, after a move, worked on the post. Anochili-Killen stayed down low as well until he fouled out. Martin saw limited action.
“We were struggling,” Jackson said. “Started searching and put Dawson and Jakob (Gibbs) in the post to take advantage of the big guy Noel or whoever was guarding them. We had some bright spots. We started to put things together. Just need a whole 40 minutes.”
Marshall’s back in action Saturday at home against Ohio University. The former Mid-American Conference rivals tipoff at 4 p.m. at Cam Henderson Center. The Bobcats (4-5) have won two in a row.
“OU always has a really good team,” Jackson said. “Coach (Jeff) Boals does a good job. They’re physical, they can pick and pop and score in the paint. We’ll have our hands full. We’ll have to come ready to play.”
Wright State is now 4-0 at home. The Raiders had their biggest lead at 15 (37-22) with 1:19 left in the first half. Marshall is 0-4 in road games.
It’s the Raiders’ first win over the Herd in three tries.