Marshall Women’s Basketball stepped away from Sun Belt Conference play Saturday, Feb. 7, and earned yet another road win, rallying past Central Michigan 88-81 for its 20th victory of the season.
The matchup marked the second leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge, an annual cross-conference series that pairs teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference. Marshall entered the contest at 19-6 overall while Central Michigan came in at 14-7 and near the top of the MAC standings.
After falling behind 43-35 at halftime, the Herd came back from the locker room with newfound intensity. Marshall outscored Central Michigan 53-38 over the final two quarters to secure its seventh road win of the season.
Timaya Lewis-Eutsey led the game with a career-high 36 points, marking her 21st double-digit game of the season. The senior shot 14-of-25 and recorded a season-best eight steals. Lewis-Eutsey is now one of only two Division I players this season to have at least 35 points and eight steals in a single game. She is also one of six NCAA Division I players with five 30-point games this year.
Meredith Maier followed with 19 points, finishing with a career-high six 3-pointers and increasing her double-digit scoring streak to seven games. Timberlynn Yeast added 12 points while Peyton Ilderton contributed 10, connecting on three shots from beyond the arc.
Marshall found its momentum in the third quarter, scoring 27 points to take control of the game. Maier’s 3-pointer midway through the period gave the Herd a 53-50 lead, marking Marshall’s first advantage of more than one point.
Central Michigan attempted to come back in the final quarter but was unable to close the gap. Yeast, who tied for the team lead with six rebounds, delivered a putback and-1 layup with under a minute remaining to push the Herd’s lead to 84-79.
The win continued Marshall’s success in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Herd opened the season with a home victory over Buffalo in the first leg of the event. Saturday’s game was the second season in a row Marshall and Central Michigan met in the second leg of the Challenge.
Marshall will return to the Cam Henderson Center Thursday, Feb. 12, to resume Sun Belt Conference play against Georgia State. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the program set to honor Black History Month.
Ella Hatfield can be contacted at [email protected].
