Records could fall when Herd faces Salem - Marshall - The Charleston Gazette

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December 2, 2009

Records could fall when Herd faces Salem

By Doug Smock

Staff writer

Advertiser

By Doug Smock

Staff writer

HUNTINGTON - Way back in the second season of Marshall's Cam Henderson Center, City College of New York left the building a 59-point loser.

Last weekend, Hassan Whiteside rejected nine shots against Ohio, and was asked about his single-game personal high at any level. He said 25, last season at prep school.

Keep these unrelated figures in the back of your mind tonight as the Thundering Herd plays host to Salem International. Tipoff is at 7 p.m., and the suspense over which team will win should evaporate shortly thereafter.

The game is the first of three home games Marshall will play against sub-Division I competition. The other two are NAIA schools, Brescia of Owensboro, Ky., on Dec. 16 and against Rio Grande, Ohio, on Feb. 9.

Rio Grande lost 92-59 to the Herd last season, but Brescia could compete much better, much like the University of the Cumberlands did last season in losing just 80-70. Brescia was 19-10 last season and is off to a 4-4 start this season.

But Salem, diplomatically put, is down on its luck. In November 2008, the athletic department was placed on three years probation by the NCAA, with the men's basketball team and other sports suffering scholarship reductions. The West Virginia Conference declared the Tigers ineligible for postseason tournaments in all sports for the 2009-10 season.

By Doug Smock

Staff writer

HUNTINGTON - Way back in the second season of Marshall's Cam Henderson Center, City College of New York left the building a 59-point loser.

Last weekend, Hassan Whiteside rejected nine shots against Ohio, and was asked about his single-game personal high at any level. He said 25, last season at prep school.

The Tigers are 0-4, not including a 77-51 loss to WVU Tech that counts as an exhibition. Their losses include a 115-75 setback at West Virginia State, 98-38 to Mountain State and 82-44 to Fairmont State. Along the way, the team changed head coaches, and former Glenville State assistant Randy Unger makes his Tiger debut tonight in place of Andy Sorine. Unger previously served seven seasons as head coach at Lees-McRae (N.C.).

Capital High graduate Rio Berkley has scored 59 points in two games to lead the Tigers in scoring, but he has not played the last two games, reportedly because of a suspension. Ivan Jovicic averages 12.3 and Kendall Allison 11.0.

Marshall (4-1) is coming off a 60-53 win over Ohio, in which the Herd held the Bobcats under 30 percent shooting from the floor, thanks in part to Whiteside's defense. Cam Miller (foot) and Dago Pena (headaches) have missed the past two games but are listed as probable.

The largest rout in the 28-plus seasons of the Henderson Center came on Dec. 28, 1982, when the Herd thumped CCNY 113-54 under coach Bob Zuffelato. One of Greg White's teams came close, mashing Bluefield State 118-60 on Nov. 22, 1997. More recently, Jones' Herd opened the 2008-09 season by beating WVU Tech 110-57.

The Marshall University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is conducting a coat drive at tonight's game, with proceeds going to Huntington's Salvation Army. The drive is part of the SAAC's effort in a Conference USA-wide "Making a Difference" competition.

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.

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4 Comments on "Records could fall when Herd faces Salem"
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Posted By: SeibWV (10:32am 12-04-2009)

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Chocolate Moose, just for the sake of clarification, New Hampshire football is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA division I (formerly I-AA). NCAA division II is the WVIAC and such.

Posted By: tim1 (1:29pm 12-03-2009)

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Wow the Citadel is really tough competition.

Posted By: Chocolate Moose (11:14am 12-03-2009)

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Why write something like this? Why constantly make fun and demean one's smaller opponents? What's the point? Are they really that desperate in Huntington? A D-II football team (New Hampshire) came to "The Joan" in 2007 and put a whipping on The Herd. Was that funny? There's a joke in New England that goes like this: How many batteries does it take to light up the Herd? Answer: Just one, double a. Oh well, when one is wallowing at the very bottom of the barrel, it must indeed be comforting to find one that is even lower. Guess you need that to make you feel better about yourself. Smock says "...Tipoff is at 7 p.m., and the suspense over which team will win should evaporate shortly thereafter." He could have been talking about the Jan. 20th game at the Civic Center, but it doesn't tip until nine. You would think a program that hasn't seen the post season in over 30 years shouldn't make fun of anybody.

Posted By: loghut (8:14am 12-03-2009)

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This game with Salem is a exhibition game right? It doesn't, and shouldn't, count in Marshall's season record I hope. Of course Marshall last season used game's against three lower division schools to pad DJ's record. Without those DJ finished with 12 wins, a Jera like season. DJ might recruit better than Jersa, but it's quite obvious his game day coaching isn't any better. Using players at least as good, MU says they're better, as Jersa had at MU, DJ doesn't win any more than Jersa did. All this with a much watered down schedule from what Jersa had too. MU does play UNC. Other than them, WVU and the couple good teams in CUSA, (Memphis still being the leader of the pack) MU has a pitiful bb schedule. So Marshall still has three patsies on their schedule for record padding. Sad. WVU does play a unbeaten lower division team Saturday, UCharleston. But it is an exhibition game and doesn't count on their record. Toys will be collected as you enter that game for needy children.

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