MarshallƵs Aislynn Hayes (10) drives against LouisianaƵs Tamiah Robinson (1) during the Sun Belt Conference womenƵs basketball tournament at the Bay Center on Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
MarshallƵs Aislynn Hayes (10) drives against LouisianaƵs Tamiah Robinson (1) during the Sun Belt Conference womenƵs basketball tournament at the Bay Center on Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
Marshall UniversityƵs womenƵs basketball team did just that, winning eight of its last 11 games for .727 winning percentage during that stretch to finish 15-20. A .727 victory rate extended over 30-game regular season equates to a 21-9 record and 11-5 conference mark. That and better is what first-year Thundering Herd coach Juli Fulks desires next season.
ƵWe obviously had a tough start to the season,Ƶ Fulks said of beginning the season 5-13, 0-7 in Sun Belt Conference play. ƵWeƵre really excited. We were in so many games that couldƵve gone the other way. We thought this mathematically canƵt continue. I was really proud for them. I needed them to see the outcome of all that hard work.Ƶ
No. 11 seed Marshall won four games, all upsets, in the Sun Belt tournament at the Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, before falling 85-54 to third-seeded Troy Saturday. By then, fatigue had set in, and the Trojans were able to pull away in the second half.
ƵI wouldnƵt want to go out any other way,Ƶ said MUƵs Aislynn Hayes, a senior who led the league in scoring. ƵWe fought this whole entire tournament. A lot of people stepped up. ItƵs an unforgettable moment. We kind of won in a way. We found ourselves in this tournament in a way. ThatƵs a great way to go out.Ƶ
Fulks said the 4-1 tournament run was a team effort.
ƵThere are a lot of people who deserve a lot of credit for us being able to do this,Ƶ Fulks said. ƵIt started with the players. We had a really good schedule set in stone and they played a big part. The trainers did everything they could night and morning. Our manager who was doing laundry day and night. Our coaching staff that worked really hard.Ƶ
Fulks said that the Herd finished strong is a testament to all those people.
ƵWe couldƵve folded a lot and we didnƵtƵ Fulks said. ƵA lot of that was because of the leadership of (Hayes and fellow senior Maddy Kellione).
ƵThe thing we talked about in the locker room is life always has lots of hard moments. The peace I want them to take away is anytime theyƵre looking at things that are heard, this should help them be able to push through and find ways to get results.Ƶ
Fans didnƵt know what to expect from a team that lost head coach Kim Caldwell to Tennessee and graduated Sun Belt player of the year Abby Beeman, as well as second-team all-conference player Bre Campbell, after going 26-7, winning the conference title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
ƵKim did an awesome job last year,Ƶ Fulks said. ƵWhat she made people believe is Marshall can be a womenƵs basketball school on top of all the other great things that we do.Ƶ
Fulks, who wasnƵt hired until April, said she intends to build on last season and this one.
ƵThe first few years really matters as setting that expectation,Ƶ Fulks said. ƵWeƵre really excited moving forward. One of the reasons I was really excited about this job was the community. We had so many fans here. ItƵs a fanbase and community that really cares about the institution, all of athletics and the players. At the end of the day, you want to be at a place where people care. You want to be at a place where people have high expectations. IƵd never want to work anywhere where winning the championship isnƵt one of our goals.Ƶ
ƵƵ senior in this tournament, weƵre fighting for 24 more hours,Ƶ Kellione said. ƵWeƵre super thankful for all the people who made this happen. With all we faced this year and all we had to overcome, we saw our work pay off.Ƶ
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