Dec 29, 2001

Final Stats

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Ronald Blackshear scored a career-high 26 points to lead Marshall to an 81-66 victory over Massachusetts on Saturday night.

Blackshear, playing in his second game since transferring from Temple last January, provided a lift to a struggling Marshall offense.

The sophomore guard hit 7-of-15 field goals, including 5-of-10 3-pointers. He committed two turnovers and had eight rebounds, all on the defensive end.

Marshall (7-4) shot 43 percent from the floor in the first half. Tamar Slay, the Herd's leading scorer, was held to just one point, but Marshall maintained a 35-31 halftime lead.

The lead changed eight times in the second half before Blackshear scored seven points, including two 3-pointers, during a 12-1 run that put Marshall ahead 70-60 with 4:45 remaining.

Slay finished with 15 points. Latece Williams scored 14 and J.R. VanHoose had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Massachusetts (6-4) made just 36 percent of its second-half shots and finished with 16 turnovers. The Minutemen committed 30 fouls, but Marshall went just 23-of-41 (56 percent) from the free-throw line.

Shannon Crooks scored 15 points to lead the Minutemen. Eric Williams added 14 points and Micah Brand had 12 points and 11 rebounds.