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Marshall's Blessing King celebrates during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
Marshall's Aislynn Hayes shoots during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
Marshall's Aislynn Hayes dribbles during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
Marshall's Peyton Ilderton shoots during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
MarshallƵs CC Mays reaches for a loose ball during the Sun Belt Conference womenƵs basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
Marshall's Aislynn Hayes looks to move with the ball during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament against Texas State at Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Pensacola, Florida.
PENSACOLA, Fla. Ƶ Juli Fulks said sheƵd have remained confident of a victory even if told MarshallƵs womenƵs basketball team would go 3 of 22 from 3-point range and its leading scorer would have four points at halftime.
That was the case, but FulksƵ 11th-seeded Thundering Herd prevailed anyway, upsetting 10th-seeded Texas State 68-62 on Wednesday in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Aislynn Hayes, who averages an SBC-best 17 points a game, hit that mark to rally the Thundering Herd (13-19) from a 10-point deficit and into ThursdayƵs 3 p.m. third-round game against No. 7 Louisiana (13-15).
The senior guard from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, took a while to shake a defense bent on stopping her. Hayes didnƵt score until 1:38 before halftime when she made two free throws, then sank a shot 32 seconds later to tie the game 31-31.
Jaylin FosterƵs basket sent the Bobcats (13-17) to the half up two.
Hayes netted 10 points in the third quarter, three on a bucket and-one to give Marshall a 37-35 lead it never relinquished.
Ƶ(Opposing) teams do lots of things with Ais,Ƶ Fulks said. ƵShe understands when they do that, other people come open. If they want to be that committed to stopping Ais, that opens lanes for others.Ƶ
And others took advantage. MarshallƵs Blessing King scored a career-high 13 points on 6-for-7-shooting and made her only foul shot. Meredith Maier scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Herd dominated the boards 39-25.
ƵThat showed we wanted it more,Ƶ Maier said of the significant rebounding edge.
ƵWe did a great job taking away the 3-ball, and thatƵs what they do well, but struggled to get stops,Ƶ Texas State coach Zenarae Antoine said. ƵThey got to the rim and the foul line. They shot 35 free throws and we shot 18.Ƶ
ƵWeƵve done a good job adapting to circumstances,Ƶ Fulks said. ƵWeƵre going to take a lot of 3s, but we donƵt want to live and die by the 3. We did a good job with our offensive rebounding and attacking the rim.Ƶ
Marshall, which owned a 10-3 advantage on the offensive boards, built its advantage to 13 points on a King basket with 4:23 to play. The Bobcats made a run, pulling within 66-62 with 11 seconds left, but Peyton Ilderton made a pair of free throws with 9 seconds remaining to set the score.
The Herd has been the surprise of the tournament, especially after spending the first half of the season at the bottom of the league standings, losing its first seven league games. That streak started with a 60-49 loss to Texas State on Dec. 29 at Cam Henderson Center.
Now, Marshall has won five of its last six.
ƵWe werenƵt shooting well, so we had to find other ways,Ƶ Maier said. ƵWeƵve played a hard schedule and weƵre ready to prove everybody wrong.Ƶ
Ilderton, Maddie Kellione and C.C. Mays each scored nine points.
ƵWhen they went on a run, we went on a run,Ƶ King said.
Destiny Terrell led the Bobcats with 18 points and six rebounds. Foster chipped in 14 points.
Marshall lost to Louisiana, its next opponent, 92-88 in overtime in the regular season in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Fulks said sheƵs not terribly concerned about the Herd being tired as it enters its third game in as many days.
ƵTheyƵre young,Ƶ Fulks said of her players. ƵThey have a lot in them. If we keep managing minutes the way we have, thatƵll help. We practice six or seven days in a row. ThereƵs no reason to think we arenƵt going to play well.Ƶ
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