Marshall Basketball: Herd Hosts UAPB After Tough Loss

Marshall Looks to Bounce Back Against UAPB After Virginia Defeat

The Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball team (3-1) returns to the friendly confines of the Cam Henderson Center on Thursday, November 20th, looking to regroup and secure a victory against the winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (0-6). The 4 p.m. EST matchup comes on the heels of a challenging 104-78 loss at the hands of the Virginia Cavaliers, a game that provided valuable lessons despite the lopsided final score.

"We learned a lot and took several things from that game," stated Marshall head coach Cornelius Jackson in a postgame press conference. "One thing was the need to work in the weight room because they were really strong. We have to elevate what we do in the strength program. We also didn't capitalize when we had opportunities, especially in the second half. You have to give credit to Virginia; they were in great shape and prepared."

Despite the defeat, a significant positive emerged for the Herd: the breakout performance of freshman guard Landen Joseph. Joseph exploded for a career-high 22 points in just 22 minutes of action, shooting a blistering 8-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. His confident and fearless play, a trait he attributes to his upbringing idolizing Kyrie Irving, offered a glimpse into the bright future of Marshall's backcourt.

"I felt comfortable," Joseph shared. "I trust coach every day, and we were preparing for situations like this. No fear came out. It was just us on the court."

Coach Jackson was equally impressed with Joseph's performance and maturity. "He's talented, and he's confident," Jackson noted. "He plays the right way. We met on Virginia the night before. I was asking questions about film, and he had the answers. There's a lot of older guys, so it shows me his basketball IQ is high. When he got on the floor, he had no fear."

Joseph's emergence is part of a broader trend of young players stepping up for the Herd. He and fellow true freshman Bryce Slay have quickly become key rotational pieces, contributing significantly alongside senior leaders like Wyatt Fricks (who scored 34 points against Elon) and grad transfer Matt Van Komen (averaging 12.2 points and a team-best 8 rebounds through four games). This depth has allowed Marshall to boast a potent offense currently ranked 7th nationally in assists (70.9% of made shots) and 22nd in effective field-goal percentage (59%).

The Herd's opponent, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, enters the contest on a 10-game losing streak (including an 0-6 mark away from home) following a 106-60 loss at SMU on Tuesday. However, Jackson is adamant his team cannot overlook the Golden Lions. "I told our guys today, don't look at Arkansas-Pine Bluff's record," he emphasized. "They play 11 straight road games, and they've played five so far. They play SMU (Tuesday), so of the five games they've played, they have had four high-major teams."

UAPB, coached by Solomon Bozeman, features a trio of double-digit scorers led by Quion Williams (14.8 ppg, transferred from Oklahoma State) and Jaquan Scott (14.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, played at Mississippi State). While ranked near the bottom of Division I by KenPom metrics, the Golden Lions are a top-20 team nationally in pace, meaning they can push the tempo and test Marshall's defense. "They've been in games, they have talent and their top players... I'm sure they'll come in here ready to go. We have to make sure that we're focused and ready to play at a high level," Jackson concluded.

The game time was moved up from 7 p.m. to avoid conflicts with Marshall's men's soccer team hosting Cleveland State in the NCAA Tournament. This early start presents a challenge for attendance, but the Herd is eager to put the Virginia loss behind them and build momentum with a strong performance at home.