Rice University
-920, 411 CUSA
Marshall
-1515, 78 CUSA
Owls Edged by Herd in Second Half
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2009
Final Stats
Rice vs. Marshall Game Book in PDF Format 
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (AP) - Markel Humphrey had 20 points and nine rebounds in Marshall's 76-62 win over Rice on Wednesday night.
After trailing 39-36 at halftime, Marshall (15-15, 7-8 Conference USA) used an 11-4 run to lead 47-43 with 15:56 left in the game.
Rice (9-20, 4-11) tied the game at 52 just over three minutes later, but the Thundering Herd scored 10 straight points to blow the game open. Chris Lutz capped the run on a 3-pointer for a 62-52 Marshall advantage with 8:17 to play.
Tirrell Baines scored 18 points, Chris Lutz added 12 and Damier Pitts chipped in 10 for the Thundering Herd, who won their third straight and six of their last eight games.
The Owls, who shot 60.7 percent in the first half (17 of 28) but committed seven turnovers in the second, was led by Rodney Foster with 17 points. Trey Stanton added 16 and Aleks Perka tallied 12 points for Rice.
The first half featured nine ties and nine lead changes.
Stanton broke a 29-29 tie with a three-pointer with 3:00 to play in the first period and the Owls would not relinquish the lead before the break. After a Marshall turnover, Connor Frizzelle floated a jumper that extended the Owls' lead to 34-29.
The Thundering Herd's press led to them keeping the game a one-possession contest.
Damier Pitts drove for a layin with 15 seconds to play in the half to cut the Owls' lead to 39-35. After the basket, Humphrey's stole the inbounds pass and was fouled. He made the first of his two free throw attempts with 12 seconds left in the period. Foster's layin attempt at the other end rolled off the rim and the Rice lead was 39-36 at the break.
