GAME NOTES: Conference-USA action will take place this afternoon when the Marshall Thundering Herd host the East Carolina Pirates at the Cam Henderson Center. The Pirates snapped a four-game losing skid with a convincing, 64-45 victory over Rice this past Wednesday. It was only the second league win for the Pirates. The only other victory in conference action came against this Marshall team back in January. As for the Thundering Herd, they have lost six of their last eight games, including two in a row. The last time Marshall was on the court, the team suffered a 77-63 loss to UCF. The loss to the Knights dropped Marshall to a mere 3-5 in league play. The Herd are just 11-10 on the season, however 10 of those victories have come at the Henderson Center. Earlier this season the Pirates grabbed a 75-62 victory over the Thundering Herd. Despite the loss, Marshall still holds the lead in the all-time series by a 6-3 margin.

The Pirates have had trouble finding a groove offensively all year and come into this matchup averaging 68.8 ppg, while shooting a mediocre 42.3 percent from the floor. Sam Hinnant is the only player netting double figures for ECU, as the guard is posting 11.6 ppg, while shooting a strong 41.7 percent from behind the arc. The last time ECU was on the court, the team only scored 64 points, but it was more than enough to claim a win over Rice. The Pirates shot just 41.1 percent from the floor in the contest, and were led by James Legan, who scored 17 points. Hinnant added 15 points, while Gabe Blair tallied nine points to go along with 11 rebounds.

The Thundering Herd have also had plenty of problems offensively, as the team is producing 67.0 ppg, while shooting a mere 41.6 percent from the floor. Mark Dorris is currently leading the team with 13.7 ppg, and is also collecting 4.1 rpg. Markel Humphrey is second on the squad with 13.6 ppg, and is pulling down 5.4 boards per matchup. Tirrell Baines rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.4 ppg, and is also grabbing a team-best 6.0 rpg. This past Wednesday, the Herd continued to struggle offensively, netting just 63 points in a loss to UCF. Marshall shot 38.6 percent from the floor and made only 5-of-26 attempts from behind the arc. Tyler Wilkerson led the way with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Dorris added 15 points. Humphrey chipped in 12 points and grabbed eight boards for Marshall, while Darryl Merthie tallied 11 points.

Although the Herd have struggled offensively, the team has had no trouble collecting wins at home. Expect Marshall to shut down a very weak East Carolina squad in this one.