— By David Walsh
Marshall’s first venture into playing basketball in April will continue for one more game.
The Thundering Herd turned back an Arkansas State rally late in the fourth period and knocked off the Red Wolves, 69-62, in one Women’s NIT Fab 4 game Wednesday night at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, Ark.
Marshall (27-9) never trailed.
Bella Weary made a three-pointer for Arkansas State with 5:15 left in the fourth to cut the Herd lead to 55-54. The Red Wolves would later have two chances to take their first lead, but could not convert.
Instead the Herd’s Meredith Maier connected on a three just before the shot clock ran out to put the visitors up 58-54 to start a 9-0 run and allow the visitors to take the second meeting with its fellow Sun Belt Conference member this season.
Marshall, with the single-season program record for wins on its resume, advances to Saturday’s title game, and will play host to Illinois State at 3 p.m. inside Cam Henderson Center.
Illinois State won the other Fab 4 semifinal, 67-60, over South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D.
WE ARE HOSTING THE CHAMPIONSHIP‼️
TICKETS ON SALE NOW 🔥🎟️⬇️https://t.co/vVg9KBn11j pic.twitter.com/yVi2q08GT0
— Marshall Women’s Basketball (@HerdWBB) April 2, 2026
Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year, led Marshall with 31 points. It represents her seventh game with at least 30 points this season. She made 10-of-18 shots from the field and 10-of-12 free throws. Lewis-Eutsey also had five steals, four rebounds and four assists.
“We knew they like to trap, be aggressive,” Lewis-Eutsey said in a postgame interview on ESPN+. “Just move the ball. We wanted to keep up the defensive intensity. It was just constant talking.”
Lewis-Eutsey, a transfer from VCU, said the Herd stayed upbeat when Arkansas State cut the lead to one.
“Coach kept telling us at halftime keep your composure,” she said. “We knew they’d make a run. Stay composed and weather the storm.”
Weary led Arkansas State with 19 points and Crislynn Rose added 16. The Red Wolves made just 2-of-10 free throws and the Herd hit 15-of-22 attempts from the charity stripe.
Ni’Kiah Chesterfield and Peyton Ilderton added nine points each for the Herd. Blessing King led in rebounds with 10 and Timberlynn Yeast snagged nine.
In the first half, Marshall showed dominance as it led 17-6 after one period. Arkansas State’s first basket came at the 5:15 mark and it finished 3-of-14 shooting in the opening quarter, while Marshall hit 8-of-19. The Herd missed all five of its free-throw attempts or it would’ve led by more, but Marshall did manage seven second-chance points
At the 6-minute mark in the second, Lewis-Eutsey’s basket put the Herd on top, 23-12. The Red Wolves would get as close as four at 27-23 after two Weary free throws. The Herd’s King hit on a folo with 17 seconds left for a 32-23 lead. Rose got a layup with a second on the clock to get the Red Wolves within 32-25 at the half.
Marshall led 32-25 at halftime after making 14 field goals to 10 for Arkansas State.
Lewis-Eutsey, who had 13 first-half points, has now scored 714 for the season — the most by a Herd player this century. She trails only Karen Pelphrey, who scored 700-plus points in three seasons back in the 1980s.
Marshall is 2-0 in home games in the WNIT. The Herd blanked Army in the fourth period on the way to the win over the Black Knights in a Great 8 contest.
Arkansas State finishes 27-10. The win total is a single-season school record.
Marshall’s overall series lead is 5-1. In the first game on February 14 in Huntington, the Red Wolves attempted 50 threes and made only seven in a 62-54 loss to the Herd.