— By David Walsh
Marshall coach Corny Jackson believes the team’s 82-78 loss to Georgia Southern late Sunday should serve as a good motivator for the Thundering Herd moving forward.
The Herd planned for its Sun Belt Conference semifinal game one way for a week thanks to being a No. 2 seed. The Eagles would play their fifth game in five days at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Before tipoff and during the game, things played out much different.
Noah Otshudi, a starting guard and double-figure scorer for Marshall throughout the season, was not in uniform due to sickness. Erich Harding, assuming a more featured role in the absence of 7-foot-4 Matt Van Komen, is due for surgery this week at home, but played 5 minutes.
So that next-man-up mentality plan was in effect and Shamarrie Hugie, Caleb Hollenbeck and Kai Spears were relied on.
With 1:24 left, the Herd led 77-76 thanks to a three-pointer from Hollenbeck. The Eagles then turned to reliable and steady Spudd Webb, who willed his way to the bucket and made four late free throws, while they added two more late to seal a spot in Monday’s league title game against top seed Troy.
“Tough loss, proud of the guys,” Jackson said. “It’s the last game of the season. We had the opportunity to win. Regardless of adversity, basketball is a game of life. Huge lessons to be learned. Trials and tribulations. Several guys stepped up. You don’t want to end on a loss, but I hope this is a standard for our program. We had a lot of opportunities led by these young men (Wyatt Fricks and Jalen Speer) beside me. We had an opportunity a couple of weeks ago to win the (Sun Belt regular season) championship, something that hadn’t been done in 28 years. We didn’t get it done. We played our way into this game and got the No. 2 seed. Hopefully, this is the standard for this program moving forward.”
A day before the game, Jackson showed the team highlights from the 2018 season when the Herd won the Conference USA Tournament with a 67-66 victory over Western Kentucky for its first NCAA bid in 31 years.
Marshall would beat Wichita State in a first-round game before bowing out against West Virginia.
“I asked them the question ‘do you believe?’“ Jackson said. “That’s half the battle. How thirsty are you to win, make winning plays? Those highlights showed you can get it done. Super proud. Shamarrie has 19. Caleb starts, then the switch and I didn’t hear one peep. He continued to work. This is bigger than basketball. Don’t let it be an excuse. One day you’ll have to deal with certain situations. How do you handle it as a father? When they look at dad to be the leader of the family, hopefully you can lean back on what you learned in college to be the success leading the household.
“I want this to be the standard for our program. One day we’ll get over the hump. We got to the semis. Not the standard, we want to play for championships, play meaningful games. One day we’re going to turn it around. We had the players in the locker room. We gave ourselves the opportunity.”
Marshall trailed 42-35 at the half. A three-pointer by Joseph capped a 15-2 Herd run early in the second half that put it ahead, 50-48.
“We played solid in the first half. Coming out we knew the first four minutes would be big,” Jackson said. “Their Coastal (Carolina) game was a two-point game at the half. They came out, got hot and won going away. They’re a dangerous team. It’s not easy winning five game in five days.”
Marshall’s plan was to limit Georgia Southern on threes and slow Tyren Moore and Alden Applewhite, who had big games in the first two meetings against the Herd. The Eagles went 7 of 26 from three and Moore and Applewhite had 11 points each. But Southern made 23-of-29 free throws and the necessary plays down the stretch.
Webb was a major reason why and led all players with 31 points in efficient fashion. He made 8-of-14 shots and 13-of-14 free throws.
“We try to get the ball in Spudd’s hands,” Eagles’ head coach Charlie Henry said. “We can exploit the smaller matchup that way. We played them three times and concentrated on how we wanted to attack today. Getting Spudd space is big for us.”
In earlier tournament t games, Moore hit for 40 in the win over Coastal Carolina and Applewhite scored 34 in the win over South Alabama.
This night, it was Webb’s turn.
“Matchups are different. Ty goes for 40, App goes for 34. Now Spudd has 31,” Henry said. “Pick your poison. Exploit the defense and who you go to in matchups. It’s a team win through and through. Quick turnaround, keep grinding it out. Grateful for the opportunity in front of us.
“Defensively we had a good plan. Not quite the same offensively like it had been. You find ways to win during the season. Over the course, you have to win a shootout, win a rock fight, have a comeback. Good teams win in a lot of ways.”
Jackson said having a week off is not the issue.
“Have to play or get a bye, depends on who you ask,” Jackson said. “Ask Georgia Southern, they’d say no to five games in five days. Ask me and it’s an honor to play yourself a one or two seed. Regardless of when the game’s played, you have to be at your best. This is March Madness. You have to execute, keep your poise whether you get a bye or not. You have to make plays, fight through adversity. You have to be near perfect to win in March Madness.
Fricks and Speer are appreciate of Marshall.. Fricks was with the program five years and Speer two arriving as a transfer.
“Been here five years. This is all I know. It’s hard leaving and looking back and try not to have regrets from today,” Fricks said. “I got to know a lot of great dudes. Met a lot of great people. Corny recruited me. I appreciate him bringing me in, believing in me and putting me in positions to be successful. Nothing negative about Marshall or Huntington. It’s all I’ve known, loved it and will continue to love it.”
Speer agreed how the game and his time with the Herd.
“We made enough plays to come back, not enough to finish it out,” Speer said. “They’ll be better at that next year. Marshall has changed my life on and off the court. I became a better man, a better player. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart. It’s my second home.”