Marshall Men’s Basketball Recap
By Rhys Owens, FM88 Sports
Dec. 13, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WMUL-FM) — This past Wednesday, Marshall Men’s Basketball played host to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers for the first time since 2022 and got its first win over the rival school since Jan. 12, 2019.
Marshall (6-4) toppled WKU (6-3), 77-61 in dominant second half fashion following a gritty first that saw the Herd head to the locker room with a 29-28 lead. The Herd took over the second half, scoring 48 points and at one point leading the Hilltoppers by 23 points.
On a night where he was awarded a commemorative ball for 1,000 points scored in a Marshall jersey, graduate student guard Jalen Speer put on a show. The Gainesville, Fla. native put up 24 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting 40% from three and not turning the ball over a single time. Matt Van Komen aided in the Herd’s efforts, posting an efficient double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks, adding to his conference lead in the statistic.
True freshman Landen Joseph played a crucial role in the Marshall win, posting a double-double of his own with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Noah Otshudi posted an impressive stat line with 12 points, seven assists, and three rebounds.
The Herd stifled the Hilltoppers defensively, forcing eight turnovers and as a team posting nine blocks and five steals. WKU came into the matchup as the number four team in the country in both free throw attempts, over 30 per game, and free throws made per game. Despite this, Marshall only sent the Hilltoppers to the line 21 times where they made just 15.
“Well you know as a coach you’re never satisfied, just watching it live I thought they played well, I thought we played the right way.” Head coach Cornelius “Corny” Jackson said. Jackson noted that the team lacked the toughness and focus in the Ohio game to keep the successes they had on the court going.
That toughness was on full display against the Hilltoppers as the Herd trampled over an old Conference USA rival. The Herd is back in action this Saturday as it takes on the Wright State Raiders in the Cam Henderson Center at 4 p.m.