March 6, 2009
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NEW ORLEANS - Thundering Herd guard Chantelle Handy hit a jumper from the left wing with three seconds remaining in overtime as seventh-seeded Marshall upset No. 2 seed UTEP, 72-70, in the 2009 Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals Friday evening at Fogelman Arena.
Marshall 72, UTEP 70 OT
Handy tied for team-high scoring honors with 18 points, joining Alyssa Hammond atop the Marshall scoring listings, and seven came in the extra frame. With the win, the Herd improves to 17-14 on the year and advances to take on Southern Miss (19-11) in the C-USA Semifinals on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. UTEP, meanwhile, concludes its 2008-09 season at 18-12.
The Miners led 55-47 with 4:04 left in regulation but Marshall answered with an 11-0 run over the next two-plus minutes to take a 58-55 lead with 26 seconds remaining. UTEP rallied with a layup and a free throw to send the game into overtime. Handy gave the Thundering Herd a brief two-point lead early in OT with a layup 14 seconds in, but UTEP tied the game with a pair of free throws and led by as many as three on three separate occasions.
Trailing 68-65 with 1:48 remaining on the clock, Tynikki Crook put Marshall back on top with a layup at the 52-second mark. A pair of free throws by UTEP's Jareica Hughes tied the game with 26 seconds remaining in overtime, but Handy's shot came 23 clicks later to provide the winning margin. The Miners had a chance to tie things up or win it with a 3-pointer, but Hughes' shot with one second left rattled off the rim to spark the Thundering Herd celebration.
UTEP scored the first points of the game on a layup by Timika Williams 14 seconds into the ballgame, and the Miners led most of the opening stanza. Marshall took a brief one point lead at 17-16 and later at 19-18, but UTEP responded to outscore Marshall 9-2 the rest of the frame to take a six-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
Handy and Hammond were two of three Marshall players to finish with double-digit scoring totals as Crook scored 13. Crook posted a double-double with a 10-rebound performance while Hammond and Baker tied for team-high assists honors with six each.
Fannie Goodwin led UTEP with 24 points off the bench while Hughes and Sviatlana Trukshanina added 17 and 15, respectively. Goodwin posted a double-double of her own with a game-best 14 rebounds and led all players with five steals. Hughes paced the Miners with six assists.
2009 C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
FIRST ROUNDS - THURSDAY, MARCH 5
Morning Session
Game 1: (8) East Carolina 73, (9) UAB 59
Game 2: (5) UCF 66, (12) Rice 64
Afternoon Session
Game 3: (6) Tulane 49, (11) Tulsa 44
Game 4: (7) Marshall 76, (10) Memphis 57
QUARTERFINALS - FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Morning Session
Game 5: (1) SMU 77, (8) East Carolina 69
Game 6: (5) UCF 79, (4) Houston 66
Afternoon Session
Game 7: (3) Southern Miss 72, (6) Tulane 55
Game 8: (7) Marshall 72, (2) UTEP 70
SEMIFINALS - SATURDAY, MARCH 7
Game 9: Game 9 - (1) SMU vs. (3) Southern Miss (CBS C), 2:00 p.m.
Game 10: Game 10 - (5) UCF vs. (7) Marshall (CBS C), 4:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP - SUNDAY, MARCH 8
Game 11: Game 11 - winner of game 9 & 10 (ESPN2), 2:30 p.m.
All times Central.
