Tulsa Women Faces Marshall in Conference USA Showdown this Friday
1/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Jan. 25, 2006
Tulsa, Oklahoma - The Tulsa women's basketball team faces a stiff test this Friday at 6:00 p.m. when the Hurricane takes on Marshall in a battle between Conference USA's top two teams at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia.
The Thundering Herd (10-7, 5-1 C-USA) is currently sitting alone atop the C-USA standings, while TU (14-4, 5-2 C-USA) enters the game in a three-way tie for second place with SMU and Southern Miss. Tulsa would surpass Marshall and move into first place with a victory.
Tulsa has won three straight games and 12 out of its last 15 contests, and is 4-3 on the road this season. The Golden Hurricane topped Tulane, 73-66, in its last road game on Jan. 8.
Junior All-America candidate Jillian Robbins is averaging a double-double and leads the team in scoring (18.9), rebounding (15.1), blocked shots (2.7), steals (2.6), field goals (133) and free throws (73). Senior Megan Moody is second in scoring at 12.8 points per game, while Emily Jaskowiak is third in scoring (10.7) and second in rebounding with 6.2 boards per contest. Senior Kara Pongonis-Paslay leads the team in three-point field goals (38) and assists with a 4.6 per game average.
The Hurricane is averaging 68.8 points and 43.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 42-percent from the field, 35-percent from behind the three-point line and 73-percent from the free-throw line.
Marshall had its five game conference win streak snapped last Sunday at Southern Miss, 67-63, and then well to West Virginia, 72-58, this past Wednesday. Prior to the loss, the Thundering Herd had won seven out of its last nine outings and was perfect in league play. UM was picked to finish in fourth place, one spot ahead of Tulsa, in the C-USA Preseason Coaches Poll.
Marshall is 4-1 at home this season and has won its last two contests in its home arena since suffering its lone home loss of the year to Binghamton (77-68) on Dec. 2.
Senior Sikeetha Shepard-Hall leads two Thundering Herd players in double figures with 15.1 points per game and is also the team's top assists (2.9) and steals leader (1.5). Modupe Ishola is the second player in double figures with 10.3 points per contest, and is also the top rebounder on the squad with 7.6 boards per outing.
Marshall is averaging 64.2 points and 40.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 42-percent from the field, 33-percent from behind the three-point line and 66-percent from the free-throw line.
Friday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Tulsa and Marshall.
