Herd knocks down 18 3-pointers, snaps two-game losing streak

Marshall+University+senior+forward+James+Kelly+attacks+the+basket+with+two+defenders+on+his+heel+Jan+30.+against+the+University+of+Alabama+at+Birmingham+at+the+Cam+Henderson+Center.

Megan Osborne

Marshall University senior forward James Kelly attacks the basket with two defenders on his heel Jan 30. against the University of Alabama at Birmingham at the Cam Henderson Center.

The Marshall University men’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday when it defeated the University of Texas at San Antonio, 109-91, on the road.

The 109 points were the most Marshall scored all season and the second time in as many games it exceeded the 100-point mark.

The Herd (12-12, 8-3) knocked down 18 3-pointes in the win, which was one shy of the school record.

Sophomore point guard Jon Elmore accounted for more than a third of the Herd’s 3-pointer output, canning a career-high seven triples on 12 attempts en route to a team-high 23 points. Elmore also dished out a team-high eight assists.

With the team scoring 109 points, Elmore was joined by three other teammates in the double-digit scoring club.

Senior James Kelly totaled 22 points and eight rebounds, going 7-13 from the field, including a 4-5 mark from beyond the arc. It was Kelly’s 11th 20-plus point game of the season and sixth in the team’s past seven games.

Juniors Austin Loop and Ryan Taylor scored 17 and 10 points, respectively. Loop accounted for 12 of his points via the 3-point line, going 4-7 from downtown.

Guard Stevie Browning just missed a double-digit outing, but he led the Herd with nine assists and threw down three dunks.

Overall, the team shot 55.4 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from 3, while also posting a 17-4 advantage in fast break points.

By contrast, UTSA shot 42.5 percent overall and 23.8 percent from 3, but stayed in the game due to its presence in the paint and on the boards.

The Road Runners outscored Marshall 46-30 in the paint and also snagged 13 offensive rebounds, which accrued to 11 second-chance points.

Leading UTSA was the guard combo of Christian Wilson and Ryan Bowie who combined for over half of the Road Runners’ total offensive output. Wilson scored 29 points stemming from a 12-17 performance at the free throw line to go along with seven assists. Bowie accumulated 26 points, connecting on nine of his game-high 22 shot attempts.

The Herd is currently third in the Conference USA with its 8-3 conference mark, sitting behind the University of Alabama at Birmingham at 10-1 and Middle Tennessee State University at 9-2.

The team’s next contest is 8 p.m. Saturday on the road against Western Kentucky University.