Topic: Gazette: Marshall runs off with 94-72 exhibition win over West Lib

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By Doug Smock
Staff writer

HUNTINGTON — As Donnie Jones learned through all those years on Billy Donovan’s coaching staff, fatigue can be as much mental as physical.

Either way, you don’t often have the option of resting in college basketball. You just have to fight through it.

Jones’ Marshall team did the latter nicely Tuesday night, pulling away from West Liberty for a 94-72 exhibition victory before 3,929 at Cam Henderson Center. The Thundering Herd was pushed by the Hilltoppers, scoring leaders in Division II last season, before taking control in the second half.

The Herd was down by four at one point in the first half but led 43-36 at the intermission. It took three minutes of the second half for MU to stretch the lead to 14, and it led by double figures the rest of the way.

“I was excited about the second half, more so than the first half,” Jones said. “I was really concerned about my team at the beginning of the game. We had just an OK practice coming into [Monday], and I was talking to those guys about coming to practice and mentally fighting through fatigue. I think that’s the next step we’re fighting through right now as a team, with our bench being a little short.”

A few minutes later, he expanded on that topic:

“There are 365 [Division I] teams, and I think everyone’s sore and tired right now. Coaches have been going doubles [practices], and they’ve been playing each other, and it’s all mental. And I think that’s the process we’ve got to go through. You get in league play, you’re playing two games and you’re traveling all over the country, and you’re going to be tired. All of them want to play in the NBA, and when you get in the NBA, you play 90 games.

Link: http://wvgazette.com/section/Sports/Marshall/2007110635