HUNTINGTON — A bad start is something the Marshall men’s basketball team has endured a number of times this year, but going down 26 points in the first half was about as bad as it has been for Coach Danny D’Antoni’s team against the first place team in Conference USA. With the best crowd of the year, 7,620, in attendance, it would have been a tough comeback to get the game respectable when the Herd was down 47-26 at the half, having only made 7-of-26 shots (26.9%) and only 1-of-11 (9%) from three.
But that’s just what D’Antoni’s team did, fighting back throughout a second half where Marshall outscored Middle Tennessee 60-50 in the second half, getting as close as nine points — 86-77 — with 56.