Feb. 29, 2008

Marshall Game Notes: at Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. - Following a week off from game action, the Marshall men's basketball team returns to the floor on Saturday to begin a two-game road trip in Tulsa, Okla., to face the Golden Hurricane at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Tip-off in the second game of this season series is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

With three games remaining before the Conference USA Championship, Marshall (15-11, 7-6) is in the thick of the league standings, currently in a three-way tie for fifth place and looking for its first ever eight-win season in C-USA play. Tulsa (15-11, 6-7) saw its five-game win streak snapped at No. 3 Memphis on Wednesday.

The Herd has won four of its last five games, including last Saturday's 71-66 victory over UCF. Marshall's three-game homestand ended in grand fashion with sophomore Tyler Wilkerson pouring in 22 points and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds for his team-high fourth double-double of the season. It was the most rebounds in a game by a Marshall player in two years.

Wilkerson has been a driving force throughout Marshall's C-USA schedule. In league play, the sophomore ranks first in FG percentage (58.1%), fourth in rebounding (7.2 rpg), 12th in blocks (1.0 bpg) and 17th in scoring (12.5 ppg). He has accounted for 21 percent of the Herd's rebounds in C-USA play with his 3.2 offensive rpg ranking second in the league.

Since its loss Jan. 30 at Marshall, Tulsa won six out of eight games. The Golden Hurricane ranks second in C-USA, just ahead of Marshall, with a 65.2 scoring defense. Tulsa's +4.8 rebound margin is the third best in the league.

Tulsa is led by Ben Uzoh's 15.2 points per game (7th in C-USA). The sophomore shoots 39 percent from 3-point range and scored 10 points with nine rebounds in the Hurricane's first game versus MU. Freshman Glenn Andrews is second on the team with 10.3 ppg, despite only 17.3 minutes per game off the bench. Senior forward Calvin Walls ranks second in the league in rebounding (7.5 rpg).

After squaring the series at 2-2 with its win over the Golden Hurricane in January, Marshall is looking for its first ever win at the Reynolds Center (0-2). Despite the Herd's slim three-point loss in its last visit to Tulsa, the average margin of victory in the series is 7.8 points.

Marshall got to the free-throw line 32 times in each of its last two games, with dramatically different results in each. In MU's loss to UTEP, the Herd sank just 19-of-32 (59.4%) free throws, but connected on 27-of-32 (84.4%) in its win over UCF. After not getting to the line at all vs UTEP, senior Mark Dorris tallied career-highs in FT and FTA (12-for-15) against the Knights.

Saturday's game will be video streamed live on Herd All-Access, via HerdZone.com. The contest can also be heard on the Thundering Herd/ISP Sports Network with Steve Cotton (PxP) and Woody Woodrum (color).