Marshall battled back from a 13-point second-half deficit only to fall short, 85-83, in a home matchup Wednesday night with Coastal Carolina.
The Herd (11-7, 3-3) had a chance to tie late, but Caleb Hollenbeck missed the first of two free throws with less than 1 second remaining, then missed the second intentionally.
Marshall got a basket from Noah Otshudi to pull even at 80 with 58 seconds left, but the Chanticleers (10-9, 3-4) countered with Nadjrick Peat’s go-ahead dunk.
After Shamarrie Hugie’s attempt at a tying shot was off the mark for Marshall, Coastal’s Joshua Beadle made two free throws with 18 seconds left.
Otshudi’s three-pointer brought MU to within one, before Beadle made the second of two foul shots for what proved to be the game’s last point.
“We have to keep fighting like that, but we need to fight like that from the beginning,” Herd head coach Corny Jackson said. “Let’s not put ourselves in a hole and then have urgency to come back, because that takes a lot out of you.”
Coastal made 15-of-17 free throws while Marshall was 10 for 16 on foul shots.
“Free throws cost us again,” Jackson said.
Coastal made half of its 30 field-gaol attempts and 6-of-15 threes in the opening half to lead 39-32 at the break.
AJ Dancler’s 13 first-half points paced the Chanticleers. He and Beadle tied for team-high scoring honors with 26 points apiece, while combining to make 17-of-26 field-goal attempts. Teammate RaSheed Jones scored 13 in the victory.
Otshudi led all players with 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting. Backcourt mate Jalen Speer scored 24 and Wyatt Fricks finished with 11. One of two field-goal attempts Fricks missed came on a three-point shot just before Hollenbeck was fouled in the final second.
Marshall is back in action Saturday when it welcomes James Madison.
“No one is going to feel sorry for us,” Jackson said. “We have to watch the film and get better, prepare for James Madison and obviously we have to do a better job of protecting home court.”