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Sun Belt Men's Basketball

Marshall Withstands Binet’s 31 Points in Win

By Kyle Nachtsheim
3:50 PM 2 min read
Marshall withstands Binet’s 31 points in 81-77 win
Marshall withstands Binet’s 31 points in 81-77 win

Despite taking a 38-34 lead into halftime, Southern Miss could not sustain its defensive pressure and fell 81-77 to Marshall on Wednesday night at the Cam Henderson Center.

Djahi Binet scored 21 of his career-high 31 points in the second half, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field. He knocked down his lone 3-point attempt of the half and went 10-for-10 at the free-throw line to keep the Golden Eagles competitive. Binet also tied a season high with 15 rebounds for Southern Miss (12-13, 6-7 Sun Belt).

Marshall (15-8, 7-4 Sun Belt) was led by a standout performance from Wyatt Fricks, who made his presence felt on both ends of the floor.

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The redshirt senior out of Lawrenceville, Georgia, played a season-high 39 minutes and finished with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.

While Binet was flawless in the second half, the rest of the Southern Miss lineup struggled offensively. The Golden Eagles shot 5-of-17 from the floor, with only Dylan Brumfield shooting 50% or better among the starters.

“I thought our guys made a good adjustment,” Marshall coach Cornelius Jackson said. “We played some zone press defense and then we got back in our zone and guys were communicating.”

Jackson said the defensive shift altered the game’s rhythm and limited Southern Miss to a more one-dimensional offense.

As Binet carried the Golden Eagles, Fricks received support from Noah Otshudi and Jalen Speer. Otshudi scored 15 points, while Speer added 13 to help Marshall seize control for good on a Fricks 3-pointer with 11:34 remaining.

Speer entered halftime with just two points on 1-of-5 shooting but said he focused on impacted the game in other ways.

“I knew my show was [not] falling a little bit,” Speer said after the game. “I mean, I went and grabbed a couple rebounds, trying to get it to the guys, get their shots and, you know, the ball’s going to find its way in the rim somehow.”

Southern Miss  made a late push, outscoring Marshall 15-9 over the final three minutes to cut the deficit to four points. All of Marshall’s points during that stretch came from the free-throw line.

“I feel like we got to handle it a little better, especially closing games,” Fricks said. “[Southern Miss] kind of made a little be closer than we probably should have, but came out with a win, so that’s really what matters.”

Both teams turn their attention to the second leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge. Southern Miss will host Kent State (17-6, 8-3 MAC) for the first meeting between the programs. Marshall will welcome No. 23 Miami (Ohio), which is 23-0 overall and 11-0 in MAC play, with the RedHawks looking to remain unbeaten.

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